WBMP 


[STOP]  NE. 


Or    THI    KHODL   ISLAND 


THE 


HISTORY  OF  WARWICK, 


EHODE    ISL^TsTD, 


SETTLEMENT  W  1642  TO  THE  PKESENT  TIME; 


INCLUDING  ACCOUNTS  OF  THE  EARLY  SETTLEMENT  AND  DEVELOP- 
MENT OF   ITS    SEVERAL    VILLAGES;    SKETCHES    OF  THE 
ORIGIN  AND  PROGRESS  OF  THE  DIFFERENT 
CHURCHES  OF  THE  TOWN,  &c,  &c. 


BY 

OLIVER  PAYSON  FULLER,  B.  A. 

"  Colligite  fragmenta  ut  non  quid  pereat. 


PROVIDENCE: 

ANGELL,  BURLINGAME  &  CO.,  PRINTERS. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1875,  by 

O.  P.   FULLER, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


PRE  FACE 


The  present  work  was  commenced  as  a  means  of  relaxation 
from  professional  labors,  with  simply  the  intention  of  furnish- 
ing a  series  of  historical  sketches  for  a  country  newspaper.  I 
had  only  pursued  my  inquiries  for  a  brief  season  when  I  found 
the  field  so  rich  in  interesting  and  important  historical  matter, 
that  I  was  led  to  believe  that  even  a  poor  reaper  might  gather 
a  considerable  harvest.  It  was  a  matter  of  surprise  that  one  of 
the  constituent  towns  oftithe  colony  of  Khodc  Island,  and  one 
that  throughout  its  history  has  exerted  so  important  an  influ-, 
euce  upon  its  prosperity,  and  produced  so  many  men  of  talent 
and  influence,  should  not  have  found  among  them  some  one  to 
perform  this  work  many  years  ago.  It  was  not,  however,  until 
a  large  portion  of  the  material  of  this  volume  had  accumulated 
upon  my  hands  that  I  concluded  to  publish  it  in  its  present 
form. 

The  amount  of  biographical  and  genealogical  matter  that  I 
have  allowed  to  come  in,  may  be  regarded  b}'  some  as  excessive 
for  such  a  work,  and  the  separate  accounts  of  the  village^, 
instead  of  incorporating  them  into  the  general  history  of  the 
town,  may  be  open  to  criticism.  I  preferred  this  arrangement, 
as  I  conceived  it  would  give  me  a  better  opportunity  to  intro- 
duce many  items  of  a  semi-historical  and  traditional  character 
with  which  the  several  villages  abound.  It  would  have  been 
an  easy  task  to  have  filled  a  much  larger  volume  than  the 
present  with  the  published  documents  relating  to  the  town, 
with  which  the  Colonial  Records  and  other  works  abound,  but 
I  preferred  to  leave  that  which  is  already  well  preserved,  and 
secure  a  portion  of  that  which,  from  the  nature  of  the  case, 
was  liable  to  be  lost. 


1G8 


iv  preface. 


Special  assistance  in  the  preparation  of  this  volume  has  been 
derived  from  the  very  able  and  comprehensive  "  History  of 
Rhode  Island,"  by  Lieut.  Gov.  Samuel  G.  Arnold,  from  whose 
careful  statements  I  have  never  seen  cause  to  differ;  and  also 
from  the  works  of  Judge  Staples,  the  valuable  biographical 
notes  connected  with  his  Gorton's  "  Simplicities  Defence " 
being  found  of  special  use.  In  the  preparation  of  the  local 
accounts,  my  acknowledgments  are  due  to  Mrs.  Joseph  Bos- 
worth,  of  Providence,  for  placing  in  my  hands  "  Letters  from 
the  Pawtuxet,"  prepared  by  her  brother,  the  late  Hon.  Henry 
Eousmaniere,  also  to  Ex-Lieut.  Gov.  Wm.  Greene,  Hon.  Wm, 
B.  Spencer,  of  Phenix,  Deacon  Pardon  Spencer,  of  Cronipton, 
Hon.  Simon  Henry  Greene,  of  Clyde,  Mr.  and  Mrs  John  W. 
Greene,  of  Old  Warwick,  and  others. 

Should  the  present  work  awaken  an  interest  in  the  history 
of  the  town,  and  lead  some  abler  pen  to  do  well  what  is  here 
done  so  imperfectly,  I  should  have  no  reason  to  be  dissatisfied. 

O.  P.  F. 

Centreville,  October,  1875. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTEE  I. 

Page. 

Condition  of  the  country  previous  to  1642.     Its  aboriginal 

inhabitants 1 

CHAPTEE  II. 

From  the  first  settlement   in   1642  to   the  granting  of  the 

Town  charter,  March  14, 1648 8 

CHAPTEE  III. 

From  the  granting  of  the  Town  charter  in  1648  to  the 
adoption  of  the  Eoyal  charter  by  the  E.  I.  Colony  in 
November,  1603 34 

CHAPTEE  IV. 
From  the  year  1663  to  the  close  of  Philip's  war 60 

CHAPTEE  V. 

From  the  close  of  Philip's  war  to  the  Declaration  of  Ameri- 
can Independence,  July  4, 1776  81 

CHAPTEE  VI. 

From  the  breaking  out  of  the  Eevolutionary  war  to  the 
year  1800 106 


» 


VI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Pago. 

From  the  year  1800  to  the  present  time 125 

SKETCHES     OF     THE    ORIGIN     AND     DEVELOPMENT     OF     THE 
SEVERAL   VILLAGES    OF   THE    TOWN. 

Old  Warwick,  or  eastern  part  of  the  town 137 

Apponaug  and  Cowesett  Shore 150 

Crompton 162 

Centreville   179 

Arctic ' 202 

Phenix 200 

Lippitt  Village 225 

Clyde  Works  233 

River  Point 235 

Natick 245 

Pontiac 259 

Hill's  Grove 268 

A  COMPLETE   LIST   OF   WARWICK   SOLDIERS    IN  THE   WAR   OF 

THE   REBELLION. 


APPENDIX. 

HISTORICAL    ACCOUNTS     OF      THE     SEVERAL     CHURCHES     OF 

WARWICK. 


EUR  A T  A . 

On  126th  page,  11th  lino  from  top,  for  "father"  read  -brother. 

On  1 1611)  page,  Stli  lino  from  bottom,  for  "'cove"  read— cave. 

On  I52d  page,  Sih  line  from  bottom,  for  "north"  read— east. 

On  165th  page,  4i.h  lino  from  bottom,  for  "1607"  read— 1697, 

On  183d  page,  21st  lino  from  top,  for  "Pawcatuck"  read— Pawtnxet. 

On  lSoth  page,  9th  line  from  top,  for  ''six"  read— four. 

On  185th  page,  11th  line  from  top.  for  "four"  read— six. 

On  l!)2d  page,  6th  line  from  bottom,  for  "1812"  read— 1822. 

On  196tli  page,  5th  line  from  top,  for  Allen  Watcrhouse,  read— Allen  &  Watorhousc 


VI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Pasja. 
From  the  year  1800  to  the  present  time 125 

SKETCHES     OF     THE    ORIGIN     AND     DEVELOPMENT     OF     THE 
SEVERAL   VILLAGES    OF   THE    TOTYN. 

Old  Warwick,  or  eastern  part  of  the  town 137 

Apponaug  and  Cowesett  Shore 150 

Crompton 162 

PnnTrA  Trills 


HISTORY   OF    WARWICK. 


THE  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK,  R.  I. 


CHAPTER  I. 


Condition  of   the   Country  previous   to   1642.      Its  Aboriginal 

Inhabitants. 

Before  referring  to  the  settlement  of  Samuel  Gorton, 
Randall  Holden,  John  Greene  and  their  associates,  which 
resulted  in  the  present  flourishing  town,  let  us  glance  at 
the  previous  condition  of  the  country,  and  its  aboriginal 
inhabitants. 

The  first  permanent  settler  in  the  State  of  Rhode 
Island  was  William  Blackstone,  who,  in  1634,  left  Bos- 
ton, where  he  possessed  a  large  landed  estate,  and  took 
up  his  solitary  abode  at  Study  Hill,  in  the  present  town 
of  Cumberland.  About  two  years  later,  Roger  Williams 
with  five  companions,  crossed  the  Seekonk  river,  and 
began  the  settlement  of  Providence.  In  1638  William 
Coddington  and  a  few  others,  found  a  home  on  the  Island 
of  Aquidneck,  and  at  about  the  same  time  a  few  fami- 
lies might  have  been  found  at  Pawtuxet.  The  causes 
that  led  to  these  several  settlements  will  appear  in  the 
course  of  this  narrative. 

With  the  above  exceptions,  the  territory  included 
within  the  present  boundaries  of  the  State  of  Rhode 
Island,  was  the  abode  only  of  the  red  man.  Here  he 
roamed  unfettered  and  undisturbed.  His  wigwams  dotted 
the  hill  tops  and  valleys  in  every  direction.  The  forests, 
which  abounded  with  game,  resounded  with  the  excite- 
ments of  the  chase.     Over  the  waters  of  the  Narragan- 


2  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1642. 

sett  in  his  canoe,  or  bounding  along  its  beach,  he  moved 
as  free  as  the  fox  or  the  deer  in  the  forests.  He  had 
never  doubted  his  right  to  the  soil,  which  had  been  trans- 
mitted to  him  by  unnumbered  generations,  as  each  in 
turn  had  gone  to  the  "  new  hunting  grounds."  And 
when  in  the  course  of  time  a  few  distressed  white  men 
came  and  begged  a  little  of  his  ample  domain,  and  he  had 
given  them,  or  sold  at  a  nominal  price,  its  fairest  por- 
tions, it  was  beyond  the  limit  of  his  fear,  that  he  or  his 
descendants,  would  ever  live  to  see  them  become  his 
masters  and  succeed  him  in  the  possession  of  his  terri- 
tory. Such,  however,  was  destined  to  be  the  case,  even 
before  the  pappooses  then  swinging  in  their  hammocks 
should  arrive  at  the  age  of  their  venerable  chief  Canoni- 
cus. 

The  three  principal  tribes  inhabiting  southern  New 
England  at  the  time  of  the  settlement  of  this  town,  were 
the  Pokanokets  of  southeastern  Massachusetts,  which  in- 
cluded among  its  subordinate  tribes  the  Wampanoags, 
who  inhabited  the  eastern  shore  of  Providence  river,  and 
around  Mount  Hope  Bay ;  the  Narragansetts  who  with  its 
tributary  tribes,  possessed  nearly  the  whole  of  the  present 
State  of  Rhode  Island,  and  the  Pequots,  who  with  the 
Mohegans,  with  whom  they  became  blended,  occupied 
Connecticut.  Among  the  tributaries  of  the  Narragan- 
setts were  the  Shawomet  or  Warwick  tribe  and  the  Paw- 
tuxet.  In  the  early  records  Pomham  or  Pumham  and 
Sacononoco  are  named  as  two  sachems,  near  Providence, 
"  having  under  them  two  or  three  hundred  men."  The 
former  was  sachem  of  Shawomet,  and  the  latter  of  Paw- 
tuxet.  The  Cowesets  "  occupied  the  easterly  part  of 
Kent  County."  These  three  tributary  tribes  seem  to 
have  been  the  occupants  of  the  territory  inclosed  within 
the  present  limits  of  the  town,  with  the  exception  of  that 
portion  known  as  Potowomut,  which  was  held  by  Tac- 
comanan,  a  sachem  residing  in  that  region.  They  also 
formed  a  part  of  the  great  Narragansett  nation,  whose 
chief  sachems  were  the  noble  and  peace  loving  Canoni- 
cus   and  his  generous  but  ill-fated  nephew  Miantonomi. 


1642.]  ABORIGINAL   INHABITANTS.  3 

It  is  difficult  from  the  varying  accounts  to  determine  with 
much  accuracy  the  number  of  the  Narragansetts.  Brinley, 
in  the  Massachusetts  collection,  states  it  at  30,000, 
while  Callender,  perhaps  at  a  later  date,  says  on  the  au- 
thority of  Roger  Williams,  that  they  cculd  raise  5,000 
fighting  men.     Williams  said  "  one  would  meet  a  dozen 

o  o 

of  their  towns  in  the  course  of  twenty  miles  travel." 
The  ravages  of  disease  and  the  defection  of  their  tribu- 
taries  even  before  their  sanguinary  war  in  1676,  greatly 
reduced  their  strength,  which  may  account  for  the  differ- 
ence in  the  statements. 

Williams  bears  generous  testimony  to  the  hospitality 
and  general  integrity  of  the  natives,  and  after  a  residence 
of  some  years  among  them,  during  which  time  he  had 
ample  opportunities  to  study  their  habits,  expressed  the 
following  opinion  of  them,  in  his  KEY  to  their  language : 
"  I  could  never  discern  that  excess  of  scandalous  sins 
among  them  which  Europe  aboundeth  with.  Drunken- 
ness ;  nd  gluttony,  generally,  they  know  not  what  sins 
they  be,  and  although  they  have  not  so  much  to  restrain 
them  (both  in  respect  of  knowledge  of  God  and  laws 
of  men)  as  the  English  have,  yet  a  man  shall  never  hear 
of  such  crimes  amongst  them  as  robbeiies,  murders,  adul- 
teries, &e."  Williams,  however,  modified  his  statements 
concerning  them  subsequently,  and  gives  a  less  favorable 
view  of  their  character  and  habits.  Perhaps  in  coming 
in  contact  with  their  new  neighbors  their  character  and 
habits  were  themselves  modified,  and  made  necessary  a 
corresponding  change  in  the  estimation  of  Williams. 
Intemperance,  especially,  was  a  vice  of  which  they  had 
been  happily  ignorant,  and  which,  in  common  with  their 
new  associates,  they  found  it  difficult  to  resist.  Gookin, 
as  late  as  1774,  after  referring  to  the  difficulty  of  con- 
verting them  to  the  gospel,  says  :  "But  let  me  add  this, 
by  way  of  commendation  of  the  Narragansett  and  War- 
wick Indians  who  inhabit  in  this  jurisdiction,  that  they 
are  an  active,  laborious  and  ingenious  people." 

In  regard  to  their  religious  belief,  several  writers,  and 
especially  Roger  Williams,  give  us  considerable  informa- 


4  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK.  [1642. 

tion.  They  evidently  held  to  a  plurality  of  gods,  chief 
of  whom  were  Cowtantowit,  who  was  their  good  deity, 
and  dwelt  in  the  balmy  regions  of  the  Southwest,  and 
Hobbamocko,  whom  they  regarded  as  an  evil  spirit,  but 
rendered  him  a  certain  kind  of  homage,  to  keep  his  fa- 
vor.* Beside  these  there  appear  to  have  been  other 
deities,  of  minor  consideration,  of  whom  Williams  ob- 
tained the  names  of  thirty-seven.  They  held  the  tradi- 
tion that  Cowtantowit  in  the  beginning  made  one  man 
and  one  woman,  of  stone,  but  afterwards  becoming  dis- 
satisfied with  them  he  broke  them  in  pieces,  and  made 
another  couple  of  wood,  from  whom  have  sprung  all  the 
races  of  men.  There  is  here  a  faint  suggestion  of  the 
Mosaic  account,  with  its  original  creation  of  one  pair 
and  the  subsequent  partial  destruction  of  the  race  at  the 
deluge. 

Their  system  of  religion  included  the  great  doctrine  of 
the  soul's  immortality,  which  they  affirmed  they  received 
by  tradition  from  their  fathers.  Their  supreme  deity, 
Cowtantowit,  presided  over  their  destinies,  gave  them 
fruitful  fields,  success  in  war,  i.nd  at  death  received  them 
to  his  happy  abode,  if  they  were  good.  Williams  says, 
"  they  believe  that  the  souls  of  men  and  women  go  to 
the  southwest :  their  great  and  good  men  and  women 
to  Co wtanto wit's  house,  where  they  have  hopes,  as  the 
Turks  have,  of  carnal  joys.  Murderers,  thieves,  and 
liars,  their  souls,  say  they,  '  wander  restless  abroad.'  ; 
They  held  annually  a  feast  of  thanksgiving  for  the  fruits 
of  harvest,  and  also  after  a  successful  hunt,  or  at  the 
conclusion  of  peace  with  their  enemies.  At  such  times 
they  were  accustomed  to  kindle  large  fires  in  the  fields, 
about  which  they  sang  and  danced  in  the  most  violent 
manner,  the  pawwaws  or  priests  directing  the  services. 
Frequently  on  such  occasions  valuable  articles  were 
thrown  into  the  fire,  as  if  in  sacrifice. 

While  the  voice    of  the  sachem  was  the  law  of  the 
tribe  and  the  lives  and  interests  of  his  subjects  were  at 

*  No  Indian  shall  at  any  time  be  suffered  to  powaw  or  perform  out- 
ward worship  to  the  devil  in  any  town  in  this  government.—  [Ancient 
laws  of  New  York,  called  the  "  Diike's  laivs." 


1642.]  KELIGION   OF   THE   INDIANS. 


his  disposal,  he  was  accustomed  in  all  matters  of  impor- 
tance to  confer  with  his  counsellors,  who  were  termed 
the  Paniese.  These  were  selected  from  among  the  wisest 
and  bravest  of  the  tribe,  and  were  usually  men  of  com- 
manding presence.  They  were  not  only  bis  council  of 
state  but  also  the  immediate  guard  of  his  person.  Their 
chiefs  were  termed  sachems  or  sagamores.  The  govern- 
ment at  the  time  of  the  first  settlement  was  made  in  this 
town,  was  divided  between  Canonicus,  who  was  an  aged 
man,  and  his  nephew,  Miantonomi,  between  whom  there 
was  perfect  harmony.  Williams  says,  "  their  agreement 
in  the  Lovernment  is  remarkable." 

The  revenues  of  the  sachems  consisted  ot  the  contri- 
butions of  his  subjects,  which  appear  to  have  been  chiefly 
voluntary.  As  their  generosity  would  tend  to  secure  his 
favor,  he  was  usually  well  supplied.  Beside  "  whatever 
was  stranded  on  the  coast,  all  wrecks  and  whales  found 
floating  on  the  sea  and  taken,  were  his."  * 

The  Narragansetts  were  the  principal  manufacturers 
of  the  established  currency  of  the  country,  which  was 
called  wampumpeage.  or  abbreviated  to  wampum  or  peage. 
There  were  two  kinds,  the  white  and  the  dark,  the  lat- 
ter being  of  double  the  value  of  the  former.  It  was 
made  from  the  shells  abounding  along  the  shore,  the 
white  from  the  periwinkle,  and  the  dark  from  the  poqua- 
hock,  or  quahaug.  The  dark  part  or  eye  of  the  shell 
was  cut  out,  ground  smoothly  and  polished,  and  olten 
strung  and  worn  about  the  person.  In  1649  the  value 
of  the  black  was  equal  to  one-fourth  of  an  English  pen- 
ny ;  the  white  one-eighth.  Gov.  Arnold  says,  "  this 
currency  was  used  by  the  Indians  for  six  hundred  miles 
in  the  interior,  in  trading  among  themselves,  and  also 
with  the  English,  French  and  Dutch,  who  made  it  legal 
tender.  Its  manufacture  was  not  restricted.  A  strings 
of  three  hundred  and  sixty  pieces  made  a  fathom,  and 
in  the  large  payments  it  was  reckoned  by  the  fathom. ' 

From  the  large  deposits  of  shell  dust  along  the  Nau- 
sauket  shore,  reaching  from  Apponaug  to  Warwick  Cove, 

*  Magnalia,  Book  IV.,  p.  51. 


6  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1642. 

as  well  as  from  the  rich  deposits  of  these  shell  fish  in  the 
vicinity,  it  is  probable  that  a  large  and  lucrative  busi- 
ness was  carried  on  in  this  vicinity  in  this  manufacture. 

The  Indian  languages  are  said  to  have  been  rich  and 
varied  in  their  vocabularies,  enabling  the  natives  to  ex- 
press themselves  with  accuracy  and  force.  The  Narra- 
gansett,  which  was  spoken  with  some  idiomatic  variations 
in  the  different  tribes  over  a  large  extent  of  country,  was 
a  variation  of  the  Delaware.  About  the  only  remnants 
of  it  remaining  are  to  be  found  in  Roger  Williams'  Key, 
the  missionary  Elliott's  Bible,*  and  Cotton's  Vocabulary.! 

The  Indians  decreased  rapidly  from  the  war  of  1676, 
at  which  time,  according  to  Hubbard,  they  had  about 
2,000  fighting  men.  In  1766  they  were  reduced  to  315 
persons,  residing  on  their  reserved  lands  in  Charlestown. 
In  1832  they  remained  the  same  in  number,  but  only 
seven  of  them  were  of  pure  Indian  blood.  In  1861  their 
number  was  found  to  be  reduced  to  two  of  three-fourths 
blood,  ten  of  half  blood,  and  sixty-eight  of  less  than 
quarter  blood.  £  Thus  in  less  than  two  centuries  from 
the  time  that  Roger  Williams  was  iireeted  by  the  red 
man,  with  "  What  Cheer,  Netop  !  "  as  he  crossed  Seekonk 
river,  to  find  a  home  in  this  wilderness,  the  brave  and 
hardy  natives  had  nearly  all  passed  awa}-. 

With  the  exception  of  a  few  names  of  places  or  bodies 
of  water,  (which  will  appear  in  subsequent  pages),  and 
an  arrow  head  or  other  implement,  occasionally  found, 
about     all    the    mementos    of   this  once  numerous  race 

*  While  Elliott,  the  Indian  missionary,  was  engaged  in  translating 
the  Bible  into  the  Indian  language  he  came  to  the  following  passage  in 
Judges,  v.  28:  '"The  mother  of  Sisera  looked  out  at  the  window  and 
cried  through  the  lattice,"  etc.  Not  knowing  an  Indian  word  to  sig- 
nify lattice,  lie  applied  to  several  of  the  natives,  and  endeavored  to  de- 
scribe to  them  what  a  lattice  resembled.  He  described  it  as  a  frame 
woik,  netting,  wicker,  or  whatever  occurred  to  him  as  illustrative, 
when  they  gave  him  a  long,  barbarous  and  unpronounceable  word,  as 
are  most  of  their  words  Some  years  after  when  he  had  learned  their 
dialect  more  correctly,  he  is  said  to  have  laughed  outright  upon  find- 
ing that  the  Indians  had  given  hi;n  the  true  term  for  eel  pot.  He  had 
translated  the  passage,  "  the  mother  of  Sisera  looked  out  of  the  win- 
dow and  cried  through  the  eel-pot." — [Bigelow's  History  of  Natick,  Me. 

t  Arnold,  vol.  1. 

%  Dr.  Usher  Parson's  Account. 


1642.]  RAPID   DECREASE    OF   THE   NATIVES.  7 

have  disappeared  from  the  town.  Their  places  of  burial 
are  unmarked,  and  the  sites  of  their  villages  unknown. 
Occasionally  their  bones  are  exhumed  but  not  frequently. 
Last  fall,  while  a  Mr  Briggs,  who  lives  on  the  Coweset 
road,  a  couple  of  miles  east  of  the  village  of  Crompton, 
was  digging  a  cellar  on  a  dry  sandy  knoll,  he  found  the 
bones  of  two  persons  that  were  evidently  of  this  race. 
Those  of  one  of  the  persons  when  laid  in  their  natural 
position,  measured  six  feet  and  four  or  five  inches.  The 
others  belonged  to  a  .smaller  individual.  The  high  cheek 
bones,  the  absence  of  all  signs  of  a  coffin,  and  the  position 
of  the  bodies,  indicated  their  race.  Mr.  Brigg's  grand- 
father built  the  house  which  stands  a  few  rods  from  the 
spot  where  the  bones  were  found,  some  seventy  or  eighty 
years  ago  and  the  spot  had  often  been  plowed  over  with- 
out knowing  of  their  presence. 

Among  the  few  natural  curiosities  relative  to  the  In- 
dians, may  be  mentioned  several  "  Drum  Rocks,"  one  of 
which  is  situated  about  half  a  mile  south  of  the  residence 
of  Gen.  Alphonso  Greene,  and  not  far  from  Walla  Willa 
pond,  in  the  southeast  corner  of  what  is  familiarly  known 
as  drum  rock  pasture.  The  rock  is  about  eight  feet  long- 
by  three  wide,  weighing  several  tons,  and  so  poised  on 
another  that  a  person  of  ordinary  weight  standing  on  one 
end  of  it  will  cause  it  to  come  down  upon  the  under  one 
with  a  considerable  sound  ;  passing  along  the  rock  to  the 
other  end  will  produce  a  similar  effect.  Appleton's  Gaz- 
etteer says,  "the  sound  produced  may  be  heard  at  the 
distance  of  twelve  miles.'"  A  rare  state  of  the  atmos- 
phere and  rare  qualities  of  hearing  we  should  deem  neces- 
sary to  meet  this  statement.  A  couple  of  miles  west  of 
this  rock  and  near  the  residence  of  Mr.  John  Foster  is 
another  of  much  larger  size,  that  is  so  poised  upon  one 
beneath  it  that  a  person  of  ordinary  strength  may  move 
it.  It  is  evidently  out  of  position  for  '■  drumming  "  pur- 
poses, having  probably  slipped  a  few  inches  from  its  foun- 
dation. These  rocks  were  probably  used  by  the  Indians 
to  give  alarm  in  time  of  danger  and  to  call  the  people 
together  at  their  pawwaw  gatherings. 


HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1642-48. 


CHAPTER  II. 

From  the  first  Settlement,  in  1642,  to  the  granting  of  the 
Town  Charter,  March  14,  1648. 

The  same  general  reasons  that  led  Roger  Williams  to 
form  a  settlement  at  Providence,  induced  Samuel  Gorton 
and  his  companions  to  take  up  their  abode  in  the  wilder- 
ness at  Shawomet.  The  former  found  his  religious  views 
at  variance  with  those  of  the  standing  order  in  Massa- 
chusetts, and  he  was  banished  out  of  their  jurisdiction. 
Gorton  was  also  a  preacher  and  founder  of  a  religious 
sect,  and  his  views,  both  ecclesiastical  and  political  were 
not  only  obnoxious  to  the  colonists  of  Massachusetts  but 
also  in  a  less  degree  to  those  of  Providence  and  Aquid- 
neck.  Both  had  sought  the  more  hospitable  regions 
among  the  Indians  where  they  hoped  quietly  to  enjoy 
that  freedom  in  "  religious  concernments  "  which  they 
were  denied  among  their  own  countrymen. 

Samuel  Gorton  came  to  this  country  from  London  in 
1636,  and  landed  in  Boston,  whence  he  soon  removed  to 
Plymouth.  There  his  religious  opinions  soon  brought 
him  into  collision  with  the  authorities,  and  he  was  ban- 
ished from  among  them.*    Morton,  in  his  "  New  England's 

*  It  is  ordered  by  the  Court,  that  in  case  any  shall  bring  in  any  Qua- 
ker, Rantor,  or  other  notorious  heritiques,  either  by  laud  or  water, 
into  any  p'te  of  this  government,  shall  forthwith  upon  order  of  any 
one  magistrate,  return*  them  to  the  place  from  whence  they  came,  or 
clear  the  gov'ment  of  them,  on  penaltie  of  paying  a  fine  of  twentie 
shillings  for  every  week  they  shall  stay  in  tbe  government  after  warn- 
inge.— [Plymouth  Col    Rec,  1657. 


1642-48.]      SAMUEL   GORTON  —  PERSECUTIONS.  9 

Memorial,"  giving  the  side  of  Gorton's  opponents,  says 
he  fell  "  into  some  dispute  with  Mr.  Ralph  Smith,  who 
was  an  elder  of  the  church  there,  and  was  summoned 
before  the  court  to  answer  Smith's  complaint.  He  there 
carried  himself  so  mutinously  and  seditiously  as  that  he 
was  for  the  same  and  for  his  turbulent  carnages  toward 
both  magistrates  and  ministers  in  the  presence  of  the 
court,  sentenced  to  find  sureties  for  his  good  behavior 
during  the  time  he  should  stay  in  that  jurisdiction,  which 
was  limited  to  fourteen  days  and  also  amerced  to  pay  a 
considerable  fine."  Gorton  himself,  in  his  "Simplicities' 
Defence  against  a  Seven  Headed  church  government 
united  in  New  England,"  says  of  his  experience  in  Mas- 
sachusetts, "  plainly  perceiving  that  the  scope  ot  their 
doctrines  was  bent  only  to  maintain  that  outward  form 
of  worship  which  they  had  erected  to  themselves,  tend- 
ing onlv  to  the  outward  carriage  of  one  man  toward 
another,  leaving  those  principles  of  divinity  wherein  we 
had  been  instructed  in  our  native  country,  tending  to 
faith  toward  God  in  Christ ;  and  we  finding  no  ground  or 
warrant  for  such  an  order  in  the  church  to  bind  men's 
consciences  unto,  as  they  had  established  among  them- 
selves, our  consciences  could  not  close  with  them  in  such 
practices.  Which  they  perceiving  denied  us  the  common 
benefits  of  the  country,  even  so  much  as  a  place  to  reside 
in  and  plant  upon  for  the  maintenance  and  preservation 
of  ourselves,  our  wives  and  little  ones,  as  also  proceeded 
against  us  as  they  had  done  to  others,  yea  with  more 
severity,  unto  confinements,  imprisonments,  chains,  fines, 
whippings  and  banishment,  to  wander  in  the  wilderness 
in  extremity  of  winter — whereupon  we  were  constrained 
with  the  hazard  of  our  lives  to  betake  ourselves  unto 
that  part  of  the  country  called  the  Narragansett  Bay." 

He  appears  to  have  been  warmly  received  at  Aquid- 
neck,  though  he  soon  found  himself  again  in  difficulty. 
He  ignored  the  civil  authority  established  there  as  not 
being  properly  derived.  "  After  the  charter  was  received 
from  the  English  crown  his  mind  was  relieved  upon  this 
point."     He  afterwards  removed  to  Providence,  where  he 


10  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1642-48. 

experienced  similar  difficulties.  Though  the  utmost  relig- 
ious freedom  was  a  distinguishing  characteristic  of  the 
colony  at  Providence  from  its  origin,  its  civil  government 
lacked  due  authority  in  the  opinion  ot  Gorton  and  his 
associates,  which  led  him  to  say  in  reference  to  that  at 
Aquidneck,  that  they  had  "  no  authoritie  legally  derived 
to  deal  with  me,  and  I  thought  myselfe  as  fitt  and 
able  to  govern  myselfe  and  family  as  any  that  were 
then  upon  Rhode  Island."  The  result  of  holding  these 
sentiments  was  to  bring  him  again  into  collision  with  the 
constituted  authorities.  Arnold,  in  his  "  History  of 
Rhode  Island,"  says  that  "  so  great  was  the  contention 
caused  by  his  presence  that  Mr.  Williams  (Roger)  seri- 
ously thought  of  abandoning  his  plantation  and  removing 
to  Patience  Island."  The  contention  assumed  eventually 
such  serious  dimensions  that  thirteen  of  the  settlers 
finally  petitioned,  (Nov.  7,  1641,)  Massachusetts  for 
assistance.  The  petition  set  forth  "  the  insolent  and 
riotous  carriages  of  Samuel  Gorton  and  his  company," 
among  whom  are  mentioned  John  Greene,  Francis 
Weston  and  Randall  Holden,  who  were  afterwards  among 
the  original  purchasers  of  Warwick.  The  answer 
returned  was  "  that  they  could  not  levy  any  war,  &c, 
without  a  General  Court.  For  counsel  we  told  them." 
says  Winthrop,  "  that  except  they  did  submit  themselves 
to  some  jurisdiction,  either  Plymouth  or  ours,  we  had  no 
calling  or  warrant  to  interpose  in  their  contentions." 
Gorton  and  his  companions  soon  after  removed  to  Paw- 
tuxet,  where  their  conduct  led  four  of  the  settlers  there 
to  put  themselves  and  their  estates  under  the  jurisdiction 
of  Massachusetts,  and  seeing  the  complications  that 
were  likely  to  ensue,  they  purchased  Shawomet,  "  beyond 
the  limits  of  Providence,  where  English  charter  or 
civilized  claim  could  legally  pursue  them  no  longer." 

DEED    OF    SHAWOMET. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  deed  given  by  Miantonomi  to 
the  Warwick  settlers: — 

Know  all  men  that  I,  Myantinomy  Cheefe  Sachem  of  the 
Nanhtygansett,  have  sould  unto  the  persons  here  named,  one 


1642-48.]  DEED   OF  SHAWOMET.  11 

parsell  of  lands  with  all  the  rights  and  privileges  thereoff  what- 
soever lyinge  uppon  the  west  syde  of  that  part  of  the  sea 
called  Sowhomes  Bay  from  Copassenetuxett  over  against  a 
little  Fland  in  the  sayd  Bay,  being  the  north  hounds  and  the 
outermost  point  of  that  neck  of  land  called  Shawhomett;  being 
the  south  bound  ffrom  the  sea  shoare  of  each  boundary  uppon 
a. straight  lyne  westword  twentie  miles.  I  say  I  have  truly 
sould  the  parsell  of  lands  above  sayde  the  proportion  whereof 
is  according  to  the  mapp  underwritten  or  drawue,  being  the 
form  of  it,  unto  Randall  Houlden,  John  Greene,  John  Wickes, 
ffrancis  Weston,  Samuel  Gorton,  Richard  Waterman,  John 
Warner,  Richard  Carder,  Sampson  Shotten,  William  Wuddall 
f&pr  one  hundred  and  forty  foure  ffathoms  of  wampumpeage. 
I  say  I  have  sould  it,  and  possession  of  it  given  unto  the  men 
above  sayd  with  the  ffree  and  joint  consent  of  the  present 
inhabitants,  being  natives,  as  it  appears  by  their  hands  here- 
unto  annexed. 

Dated  ye  twelfth  of  January,   1042.     Being    enacted  uppon 
the  above  sayd  parsell  of  lande. 

In  the  presence  off 

Totanomans  MYANTONOMY 

His  -j-  marke 

PUMHAM  Sachem  of  Shawomet 
His       ®L marke 


JANO 

His  marke 


r 


John  Greene 

The  original  deed  of  the  above  mentioned  tract  of  land 
is  now  in  possession  of  Hon.  George  A.  Bray  ton.  the  late 
chief  justice  of  Rhode  Island,  a  native  and  late  resident  of 
this  town.  It  embraced  all  the  territory  at  present  included 
in  the  present  town  of  Warwick  and  Coventry,  with 
the  exception  of  the  Potowomut  purchase  made  subse- 
quently, and  the  northeast  corner  of  Warwick,  included 
north  of  a  straight  line  running  from  Copasnetuxet  cove 
to  the  Pawtuxet  river.  The  tract  embraced  about  ninety 
square  miles  of  territory,  or  about  60,000  acres.* 


*  This  is  only  a  rough  estimate.  The  present  towns  of  Warwick 
and  Coventry  contain  103.7  square  miles.  Coventry  was  subsequently 
set  off  from  Warwick. 


12  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK.  [1642-48. 

The  price  paid  was  equivalent  to  .£36.  Backus  says 
the  value  was  computed  at  £40,  16s.  Peage  seems  to 
have  been  the  general  term  for  money,  and  ivampum, 
which  signifies  white,  and  sackauhocJc  (sacki:  black), 
distinguished  the  two  kinds,  the  former  made  from  the 
metauhock  or  periwinkle  and  the  black  from  the  poqua- 
hock,  or  quahaug. 

The  deed  of  John  Greene   from    Miantonomi  and  Sac- 

ononoco  of  Occupasnetuxet,   including   the  farm  now  in 

possession  ot  the  heirs  of  the  late  Governor  John  Brown 

Francis,  is  dated  October  1st,   1642,  and  confirmed  bf 

Surquans,  alias  Moosup,  to  Major,   or  Deputy  Governor 

John  Greene,  June  15,  1662. 

Richard  Waterman,  though  one  of  the  original  purchasers, 
does  not  appear  to  have  resided  long  in  this  town.  We  find 
him  a  resident  of  Salem,  in  1636,  and  subsequently  of  Provi- 
dence. He  afterwards  removed  to  this  town,  and  was  present 
when  the  Massachusetts  soldiers  came  and  arrested  the  settlers. 
It  is  not  quite  clear  that  he  was  arrested  with  the  others,  hut  he 
received  about  the  same  time  the  compliments  of  the  General 
Court  of  Massachusetts  held  on  the  29th  of  the  3d  month,  1644, 
in  the  following  order:  — 

"  Richard  Waterman  being  found  erroneous,  heretical  and 
obstinate,  it  was  agreed  that  he  should  be  detained  prisoner  till 
the  Quarter  Court  in  the  7th  month,  (September,)  unless  five 
of  the  magistrates  do  find  cause  to  send  him  away,  which  if 
the}'  do,  it  is  ordered,  he  shall  not  return  within  this  jurisdiction 
upon  pain  of  death.'1 

He  lived  chiefly  in  Providence  and  Newport,  dying  in  the 
latter  place,  October  27,  1673.  He  was  buried  in  Providence, 
corner  of  Waterman  and  Benefit  streets.  He  left  four  children; 
viz  :  Nathaniel,  Resolved,  Mehitable  and  Waiting;  Mehitable 
married  a  Fanner,  the  ancestor  of  Governor  Fenner;  Resolved 
married  Mercy,  daughter  of  Roger  Williams;  he  had  five  chil- 
dren: Richard,  John,  Resolved,  Mary  and  Waite.  John,  the 
second  son  of  Resolved,  married  Anne  Olney,  daughter  of 
Thomas  Olney;  this  John  was  the  first  of  the  name  who  made 
Warwick  a  piace  of  permanent  residence.  A  sketch  of  the 
house  built  by  John  Waterman  "  was  made  by  Mary  A.  Greene, 
as  described  by  her  grandmother  Welthian  Waterman,  in  1842, 
in  the  original  room  built  by  John."  This  John  died  August 
26,  1728.  aged  63.  leaving  eight  children:  Elizabeth,  Mary,  Ann, 
John,  Benoni,  Resolved,  Patience,  Phebe. 

Eichard   Carder  was  admitted  a  freeman  in  Massachusetts, 


1042^8.]       PECULIAR    FORM    OF    GOVERNMENT.  13 


May  25, 1036;  he  afterwards  settled  on  Rhode  Island,  where, 
being  disfranchised,  a  fate  not  uncommon  in  those  times,  he 
united  his  fortunes  with  the  original  purchasers  of  this  town. 

During  the  Indian  war,  the  inhabitants  left  their  town,  and 
took  up  their  abode  at  Newport,  where  Carder  died  before  the 
war  closed.  His  son  John  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Randall 
Holden.  His  descendants  are  now  fouud  in  various  parts  of 
the  towu. 

The  little  colony  did  not  presume  to  exercise  any  of  the 
powers  of  a  legal  government  until  1647,  when  the  four 
towns — Providence,  Portsmouth,  Newport  and  Warwick, 
were  duly  organized,  under  a  charter,  obtained  from  the 
English  Parliament,  March  14,  1644.  The  settlers  con- 
sidered themselves  subjects  of  the  English  government, 
and  until  they  received  authority  from  it,  continued  to 
dwell  together  as  a  voluntary  association,  making  from 
time  to  time  such  rules  and  regulations  as  seemed  both 
conducive  to  their  interests  and  compatible  with  their 
ideas  of  such  an  association.  They  had  denied  the  au- 
thority of  the  self  constituted  governments  of  the  other 
towns,  and  now  acted  in  accordance  with  these  principles. 
Some  of  the  acts,  however  agreed  upon  during  this  time, 
closely  border  upon  the  authority  they  denied  to  the 
other  towns,  and  how  they  would  have  determined  cases 
of  resistance  to  their  rules  and  regulations  it  is  difficult 
to  say.  It  does  not  appear  from  any  records  remaining 
that  they  ever  experienced  any  serious  difficulty  in  this 
respect,  however,  during  the  five  years  in  which  they  con- 
tinued in  this  condition.  Within  this  period,  and  proba- 
bly soon  after  they  received  the  deed  of  the  lands,  (the 
date  is  not  given)  we  find  upon  the  records  in  the 
clerk's  office  the  following  regulations,  which  are  entitled  : 

TOWN"  ORDERS. 

"  The  purchasers  of  the  plantation  doe  order  and  conclude 
ffirst: 

'•That  Avee  keepe  the  disposall  of  the  lands  in  our  own  name. 

"That  none  shall  enjoy  anny  land  in  the  Neck  called  Mishao- 
met  but  by  grant  of  ye  owners  and  purchasers. 

"  That  every  aker  of  medow  shall  have  its  proportion  of  up- 
land as  the  Neck  may  afford. 


14  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1642-48. 


"  That  we  lay  our  hiewaies  into  the  Neck  in  the  most  conve- 
nient places  as  we  think  thing. 

"  That  no  man  shall  either  directly  or  indirectly  take  in  anny 
cattell  to  common,  but  only  milch  cattell  and  laboring  cattell. 

"  That  whomsoever  is  granted  a  lott,  if  hee  doe  not  fence  it 
and  build  a  dwelling  house  upon  it,  in  6  months,  or  in  forward- 
ness thereto,  for  ye  neglect  his  lot  is  to  return  to  ye  Towne,  to 
dispose  of. 

"  That  for  the  towne  proper  to  all  the  inhabitants,  is  to  bee 
from  ye  ffrout  fence  of  the  Neck  into  the  countrie  lour  miles, 
and  that  no  part  of  this  common  shall  [be]  appropriated  to 
anny  but  by  themaior  part  of  all  ye  inhabitants;  and  that  every 
inhabitant  is  to  have  six  akers  to  his  house  lott,  lor  which  hee  is 
to  pay  to  ye  Treasurer  12s.  and  this  four  miles  common  is  an- 
nexed to  every  man's  lot." 

Several  other  "orders"  follow ;  one  in  regard  to  the 
manner  in  which  a  person  could  be  received  into  the 
company  is  specified,:  he  was  to  be  "propounded"  and 
afterwards  voted  in  "by  papers  or  beans"  and  pay  the 
sum  of  ten  pounds  sterling.  The  fourteenth  order  pro- 
vided that  "no  man  in  the  towne  is  to  sell  strong  liekers 
or  sack  to  the  Indians,  for  to  drink  in  their  houses,  and 
if  it  bee  proved,  hee  that  so  breaks  this  order  shall  pay  to 
the  treaserie  five  shillings  for  each  offence."  Subse- 
quently (1648),  after  the  organization  of  the  government 
under  the  charter,  this  last  order  wras  strengthened  by 
the  addition  of  wine  to  the  prohibited  "liekers,"  with  an 
increased  fine  of  twenty  shillings  for  its  violation.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  the  prohibitory  liquor  legislation 
in  this  town,  but  by  no  means  its  ending. 

The  trials  to  which  the  hardy  pioneers  were  about  to  be 
subjected,  and  to  which  we  now  turn  our  attention,  is  pro- 
bably without  a  parallel  in  the  histoiy  of  any  of  the  New 
England  settlements.  They  had  nearly  all  of  them  at 
different  times  been  inhabitants  of  the  Massachusetts,  or 
the  Plymouth  colony,  and  had  either  been  formally  ban- 
ished by  the  authorities,  for  their  peculiar  religious,  or  pol- 
itical views,  or  found  it  necessary  for  their  comfort  to  seek 
a  home  elsewhere.  It  does  not  appear  that  any  were 
charged  with  immoral  conduct.  Gorton  was  regarded 
as  an  ecclesiastical  Ishmaelite,  and  not  without  some  rea 
son.     His  associates  were  men  of  indei  endent  views,  who 


1642-4S.]  CLAIMS   OF   MASSACHUSETTS.  15 

preferred  a  dwelling  in  the  wilderness  with  savages,  to 
a  home  among  the  civilized  without  liberty  of  conscience. 
This  liberty  had  been  denied  them  in  Massachusetts, 
and  to  a  less  extent-  perhaps  at  Aquidneck  and  Provi- 
dence. In  those  days  it  was  a  favoiite  pastime  for  the 
Massachusetts  magistrates  and  divines  to  engage  in  theo- 
logical controversy,  and  for  a  man  to  differ  in  the  slight- 
est degree  from  their  standard  of  orthodoxy,  was  to  sub- 
ject himself  to  untold  hardships,  among  the  least  of 
which,  was  that  of  banishment  from  the  state.  Their  re- 
membrance of  the  trouble  which  the  Rhode  Island  colo- 
nists had  already  occasioned  them,  with  other  reasons 
that  will  appear  in  the  course  of  these  pages,  led  to  the 
disturbances  that  were  about  to  follow. 

Massachusetts  had  assumed  authority  at  Pawtuxet  at 
the  suggestion  of  some  of  the  people  there,  and  on  May 
10th,  16-43,*  appointed  a  committee  to  treat  with  Sacon- 
onoco  and  Pomham,  Sachems  of  Pawtuxet  and  Shawo- 
met,  in  regard  to  the  submission  of  themselves  and  their 
lands  to  the  jurisdiction  of  Massachusetts.  Those  sachems 
appear  to  have  been  previously  influenced  by  the  dwellers 
at  Pawtuxet,  and  so  far  became  disaffected  toward  the 
new  settlers  that  they  weie  induced  to  make  submission, 
and  even  denied  having  assented  to  the  sale  of  Shawo- 
met.  This  extraordinary  act  was  a  sufficient  pretext  for 
Massachusetts  to  claim  jurisdiction  over  the  settlement 
of  Warwick,  which  she  accordingly  did.  Matters  now 
were  becoming  decidedly  "mixed."  Gorton  and  his  com- 
panions, who  supposed  they  were  out  of  the  jurisdiction 
even  of  Providence  and  Aquidneck,  and  where  no  claim 
of  either  civilized  or  Indian  parties  would  interfere  with 
them,  unless  the  mother  country  across  the  sea  should 
be  that  party,  suddenly  found  themselves  and  their  lands 
claimed  by  Massachusetts,  from  which  colony  some  of 
them  had  been  banished  at  the  peril  of  their  lives. 

Some  of  the  reasons  that  led  to  this  state  of  things 
may  here  be  mentioned.     Massachusetts  had  long  desired 


*  Mass  Col.  Eec,  ii,  35. 


16  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1642-48. 


possession  of  the  waters  of  Narragansett  Bay  for  obvious 
reasons.  William,  and  afterwards  his  son,  Benedict 
Arnold,  had  possession  of  lands  whose  titles  dependedupon 
the  right  of  Sacononoco  to  convey  them,  or  in  other 
words  depended  upon  the  establishment  of  the  indepen- 
dence ol  this  sachem.  The  settlers  of  Warwick  had 
bought  their  lands  of  Miuntonomi,  "chiefe  sachem"  of 
the  Narragansetts,  whose  right  to  sell  them  seems  un- 
doubted. Pomham  had  assented  to  the  sale  and  affixed 
his  "mark"  to  the  deed  as  a  witness.  His  subsequent 
treatment  as  an  independent  sachem  by  the  Massachu- 
setts committee,  rather  than  as  a  tributary  or  subordinate 
one,  may  have  flattered  his  vanity  and  induced  him  to 
take  the  position  he  now  assumed.  But  with  these  must 
be  mentioned  another  reason  which  cannot  be  overlooked, 
which  was  the  envy  and  opposition  felt  by  both  the 
Massachusetts  government  and  the  dwellers  at  Pawtuxet, 
on  account  of  the  peculiar  religious  views  of  the  Gor- 
tonists  and  the  trouble  they  had  formerly  given  them. 

William  Arnold  was  born  in  England,  in  1589.  In  1635  we 
find  him  in  Plymouth  colony.  He  afterwards  went  to  Provi- 
dence with  Roger  Williams,  where  bis  name  appears  in  Wil- 
liams' first  deed.'  He  had  four  children:  Benedict,  Thomas, 
Stephen,  and  a  daughter  who  married  Zachary  Rhodes.  Bene- 
dict was  born  iu  England,  December  21,  1615.  He  married 
Damaris,  daughter  of  Stukely  Westcott,  by  whom  he  had  the 
following  children:  GodsgifOosias.  Benedict,  Freelove,  Oliver, 
Caleb,  Damaris,  and  Priscilla.  Benedict,  son  of  William,  re- 
moved to  Newport,  in  1653.  He  was  president  of  Acruidneck 
from  1657  to  1660,  and  governor  under  the  royal  charter  several 
years.  He  died  in  June,  1678.  His  house  in  Newport  stood  near 
the  spot  now  occupied  by  the  Union  Bank.  Stephen,  son  of  Wil- 
liam, lived  and  died  in  Pawtuxet.  Thomas  settled  in  Smith- 
field.  Their  descendants  are  among  the  most  numerous  in  the 
town.  An  enthusiastic  genealogist  of  the  family  traces  it  back 
in  a  connected  line  for  twenty-five  generations. 

Robert  Coles,  one  of  the  '*  received  *'  purchasers  of  Warwick, 
purchased  the  tract  of  land  from  Williams,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Pawtuxet,  which  the  latter  bought  of  Miantonomi.  In  1632  he 
was  one  of  the  committee  to  advise  with  the  Governor  and  as- 
sistants of  Massachusetts  about  the  raising  of  public  stock.  He 
resided  at  that  time  in  Roxbury.  The  following  year  we  find 
him   settled   at   Ipswich.     He  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 


1642-48.]  FURTHER    COMPLICATIONS.  17 

Providence,  and  his  name  appears  in  the  first  deed  of  Roger 
Williams  to  his  fellow- settlers.  In  1640  he  was  one  of  three 
persons  who  were  appointed  by  the  colony  to  report  a  form  of 
government,  which  was  adopted,  and  which  remained  in  force 
until  the  arrival  of  the  first  charter.  He  subsequently  removed 
to  Warwick.  A  deed  to  his  widow,  Mary  Coles,  dated  Novem- 
ber, 1655,  made  by  John  Coles,  indicates  that  he  died  previous 
to  that  date.  He  had  at  least  three  children,  one  son,  John, 
and  two  daughters,  who  married  Richard  and  Henry  Townsend, 
the  latter  living  at  the  time  of  Coles'  death  at  Oyster  Bay,  Long 
Island. 

In  Septemter,  1643,*  Massachusetts  sent  a  letter  to  the 
purchasers  of  Shawomet  containing  the  complaints  and 
submission  of  the  sachems,  and  requesting  them  to  ap  - 
pear  at  once  before  the  court  there,  where  the  plaintiffs 
were  then  present.  They  returned  a  verbal  reply  by  the 
messenger,  refusing  to  appear,  denying  their  jurisdiction, 
and  declaring  that  they  were  subject  only  to  the  Crown 
of  England,  from  which  they  expected  "in  due  season  to 
receive  direction  for  their  well-ordering  in  all  civil  re- 
spects." A  few  days  after  they  sent  a  lengthy  letter, 
whichis  a  marvel  of  curiousness,  dated,  "  From  our  Neck, 
Curo,  Sept.  15,  1043,"  and  signed  by  Randall  Holden, 
but  which  bears  unmistakable  evidence  of  having  been 
written  by  Gorton.  It  is  directed  "To  the  great,  honored 
and  Idol  General,  now  set  up  in  the  Massachusetts, 
whose  pretended  equity  in  the  distribution  of  justice  un- 
to the  souls  and  bodies  of  men,  is  nothing  else  but  a  mere 
device  of  man,  according  to  the  ancient  custom  and 
sleights  of  Satan,  transforming  himself  into  an  angel  of 
light,  to  subject  and  make  slaves  of  that  species  or  kind 
that  God  hath  honored  with  his  own  image."  The  letter, 
with  a  postscript  of  more  than  two  printed  pages  long, 
may  be  found  in  Vol.  2,  R.  I.  Historical  Collections. 
The  letter  could  have  produced  no  other  effect  upon  the 
Massachusetts  government  than  to  exasperate  it,  and  ac- 
cordingly a  few  days  alter  that  it  dispatched  another  let- 
ter saying,  that  commissioners,  attended  with  an  armed 
guard  would  soon  be  sent  to  obtain  satisfaction.     The  fol- 

*  Arnold's  Hist,  of  R.  I.,  i,  178. 

•i* 


IS  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK.  [1642-48. 

lowing  week  three  commissioners,  with  forty  soldiers, 
started  for  Warwick.  They  were  met  on  their  way  by 
a  messenger,  who  bore  another  letter  from  the  "owners 
and  inhabitants  of  Warwick,"  warning  them  upon  their 
peril  not  to  invade  their  town.  A  reply  was  returned 
that  the  commissioners  wished  to  speak  with  them  and 
show  them  their  misdeeds,  and  lead  them  to  repent,  tail- 
ing in  which  they  should  "look  upon  them  as  men  pre- 
pared for  slaughter,"  and  they  should  act  accordingly.* 

This  announcement  spread,  of  course  consternation, 
throughout  the  little  settlement.  They  neither  liked  the 
idea  of  being  "slaughtered"  or  of  submitting  to  the 
arrogant  claims  of  their  enemies.  Their  foes  were  near  at 
hand  and  confident  in  their  strength.  The  women  and 
children  were  hastily  sent  away,  "some  to  the  woods  and 
others  in  boats  to  gain  the  neighboring  plantations," 
while  the  men  fortified  a  house  and  awaited  their  assail- 
ants. Before  making  an  assault  a  conference  was  held 
between  the  opposing  parties,  in  which  four  Providence 
men  participated,  who  had  accompanied  the  troops  to 
see  if  they  could  render  assistance  in  settling  the  difficul- 
ty. [Simp.  Defence,  108.]  The  commissioners  stated 
the  charges  against  the  settlers,  viz.,  that  they  had 
wronged  some  of  the  subjects  of  Massachusetts,  and  held 
blasphemous  errors.  That  unless  they  repented  of  these 
things  they  must  be  carried  to  Boston  for  trial,  or  be 
slain  where  they  were.  This  they  declined  to  do,  but 
proposed  an  appeal  to  England,  which  in  turn  being  re- 
fused, they  suggested  that  the  dispute  be  referred  to 
arbitration.  This  occasioned  a  truce,  and  a  messenger 
was  sent  to  Massachusetts  to  learn  the  views  of  the  rulers. 
The  four  Providence  men  sent  a  letter  to  Governor 
Winthrop  in  the  interests  of  peace.  The  reply  that  was 
returned  was  unfavorable.  They  said  "it  was  neither 
seasonable  or  reasonable,  neither  safe  or  honorable  for  us 
to  accept  such  a  proposition."  They  gave  several  rea- 
sons, one  of  which  was  that  the  little  company  "were  no 

*  Arnold,  I,  100. 


1642-48.]  THE   SETTLERS    UNDER   ARREST.  19 

State,  but  a  few  fugitives  living  without  law  or  govern- 
ment, and  so  not  honorable  for  us  to  join  with  them  in 
such  a  course."  Also  that  "their  blasphemous  and  revil- 
ing writings,  etc.,  were  not  matters  fit  to  be  compounded 
by  arbitrament,  but  to  be  purged  away  only  by  re- 
pentance and  public  satisfaction,  or  ehe  by  public  pun- 
ishment." The  commissioners  were  directed  to  proceed 
at  once. 

All  hope  of  effecting  a  settlement  was  now  at  an  end, 
and  the  little  part}'  prepared  to  defend  itself  against  four 
times  its  number.  The  little  Avar  commenced.  The  small 
company  of  eleven  men,  one  of  them  not  bearing  arms, 
hung  out  the  English  flag  in  acknowledgment  of  their 
allegiance  to  England,  from  their  extemporized  fort, 
which  was  "riddled  by  the  shot  of  their  assailants." 
The  siege  lasted  several  days,  and  during  the  time  an  at- 
tempt was  made  to  burn  the  building,  which  failed. 
The  besieged  fired  no  shot  during  the  whole  time,  and  it 
does  not  appear  that  any  one  was  killed  on  either  side. 
Seeing  there  was  no  hope  for  them  against  such  numbers, 
they  finally  agreed  upon  articles  of  surrender  by  which 
they  were  to  go  with  their  assailants  "as  freemen  and 
neighbors"  to  Boston.  They  went,  however,  as  prison- 
ers, and  on  their  arrival  at  Boston  were  committed  to  jail 
to  await  their  trial.  Their  captors  also  took  with  them 
'eighty  head  of  cattle  besides  swine  and  goates,  which 
they  divided  among  themselves."  *  Thus,  before  two 
years  had  elapsed,  the  purchasers  of  Warwick,  with  the 
exception  of  Sampson  Shotten,  who  had  died,  found  them- 
selves in  a  Boston  prison  and  their  families  dispersed, 
they  knew  not  where. 

On  the  Sabbath  following  their  reception  in  Boston, 
the  prisoners  were  required  to  attend  church,  to  listen, 
as  they  supposed,  to  a  sermon  from  Mr.  Cotton  for  their 
special  edification.  They  declined  to  attend  unless  they 
could  be  permitted  to    speak    after   the    sermon    if  they 

*  The  first  cattle,  a  bull  and  three  heifers,  were  brought  to  Plymouth 
in  March,  1024,  by  Edward  Winslow.     Prince's  Annals,  p.  225. 


20  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK.  [1642-48 

should  desire.  This  liberty  was  promised  them,  for  what 
reason  it  is  difficult  to  determine,  unless  it  was  to  increase 
the  amount  of  evidence  against  them  and  give  the 
people  an  opportunity  to  witness  their  behavior,  as  the 
magistrates  would  not  have  hesitated  to  compel  their 
attendance.  The  minister  "preached  at  them  about 
Demetrius  and  the  shrines  of  Ephesus,  after  which  Gor- 
ton, leave  being  granted,  replied,  somewhat  varying  the 
application  of  the  text,  to  the  great  scandal  of  his 
hearers." 

On  the  Tuesday  following,  'Oct.  17,  1643,  the  pris- 
oners were  brought  before  the  court  on  the  charge  of 
heresy  and  sedition,  as  follows  :  "  Upon  much  examina- 
tion and  serious  consideration  of  your  writings,  with 
your  answers  about  them,  wee  do  charge  you  to  bee  a 
blasphemous  enemy  of  the  tine  religion  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  and  His  Holy  ordinances,  and  also  of  all  civil 
authority  among  the  people  of  God,  and  particularly  in 
this  jurisdiction."  * 

In  "  Simplicitie's  Defence,"  Gorton  mentions  the  fol- 
lowing questions  which  the  magistrates  proposed  to  him, 
and  required  his  answer  "  speedily  upon  lite  or  death," 
in  writing  : 

"  1.  Whether  the  Fathers,  who  died  before  Christ  was  born 
of  the  Virgin  Mary,  were  justified  and  saved  only  by  the  blood 
which  he  shed  and  the  death  which  he  suffered  after  his  incar- 
nation. 

2  Whether  the  only  price  of  our  redemption  were  not  the 
death  of  Christ  upon  the  cross,  with  the  rest  of  his  sufferings 
and  obedience  in  the  time  of  his  life  here,  after  he  was  born  of 
the  Virgin  Mary. 

3.  Who  is  that  God  whom  he  thinks  we  serve? 

4.  What  he  means  when  he  saith -We  worship  the  star  of 
our  god  Reinphan,  Chion,  Moloch.'  " 

Gorton  was  fully  self-possessed,  and  gave  his  answers 
in  a  lengthy  and  mystical  communication,  which  must 
have  required  the  combined  sagacity  of  his  judges  to 
comprehend.     Indeed,  at  this  age,  the   whole   trial,   in- 

*  This  was  the  charge  against  Gorton;  those  against  the  others  were 
essentially  the  same. 


1042-18.]  IN  PRISON.  21 


eluding  the  course  of  the  judges,  their  questions,  the 
answers  returned  and  the  sentences  pronounced,  is  a 
curious  commentary  upon  the  spirit  of  that  age.  The 
court  was  divided.  All  but  three  of  the  magistrates 
condemned  Gorton  to  death,  but  a  majority  of  the  depu- 
ties refused  to  sanction  the  sentence.  Finally,  he  and 
six  others  were  sentenced  to  be  confined  in  irons  during 
the  pleasure  of  the  court,  and  should  they  break  jail,  or 
preach  their  heresies,  or  speak  against  the  church  or 
State,  on  conviction,  they  should  die.  They  were  sepa- 
rated and  sent  in  chains  to  different  towns  near  by — 
Gorton  to  Charlestown,  Weston  to  Dorchester,  Holden 
to  Salem,  Potter  to  Rowley,  Wicks  to  Ipswich,  Carder 
to  Roxbury,  and  Warner  remained  in  Boston.  Waddell 
was  allowed  to  remain  at  large  at  Watertowir;  Water- 
man was  fined  and  released,  after  giving  bonds  to  appear 
at  the  next  court,  but  was  afterwards  arrested  and  im- 
prisoned. Power  was  dismissed  with  an  admonition, 
and  Greene  had  managed  to  escape  during  the  siege.  * 

But  little  is  known  of  Nicholas  Power.  His  name  does  not 
occur  among  the  early  lists  of  inhabitants.  When  the  rest  of 
the  settlers  were  sentenced  by  the  Massachusetts  court,  he 
"  was  dismissed  with  an  admonition."  He  died  in  Providence,. 
August  25,  1657,  leaving  a  widow  Jane,  a  son  Nicholas,  and  a 
daughter  Hope.  The  son  married  Rebecca,  daughter  of  Zach- 
ary  Rhodes.  Ten  years  after  his  death,  the  Town  Council  of 
Providence  made  a  will  for  him  (he  dying  intestate),  in  order, 
as  they  say,  "  that  we  may  prevent  differences  before  they  be- 
gin." The  tradition  is  that  ^Nicholas,  Jr.,  was  killed  in  the  In- 
dian war  in  1675-6. 

Francis  Weston  was  admitted  a  freeman  in  Massachusetts  in 
November,  1633.  He  was  one  of  the  deputies  from  Salem  to 
the  General  Court  in  1634.  He  died  previous  to  June  4,  1645, 
of  consumption  contracted  "  through  cold  and  hardships  "  at 
this  time. 

William  Waddel  was  a  resident  in  Boston  in  1637,  when  he 
was  disarmed,  with  fifty-seven  others,  among  whom  was  Rich- 
ard Carder.  His  name  does  not  occur  in  'the  records  subse- 
quently. 

They  were  confined  during  the  whole  winter  and 
until  the  following  March,  when  by  an  act  of  the  Gene- 

*  For  Gov,  Wintlirop's  account  of  the  trial,  see  Sav.  Winthrop.  Vol. 
II,  p.  142. 


22  HISTORY   OF  WARWICK.  [1642-48. 


ral  Court  they  were  pet  at  liberty  and  banished  out  of 
the  jurisdiction  of  Massachusetts,  and  from  the  Rhode 
Island  Plantations.  Fourteen  days  were  given  them  to 
remove,  and  if  found  after  that  time  within  the  specified 
limits  they  were  to  suffer  death.  They  were  sirbse- 
quently  ordered  to  leave  Boston  in  two  hours.  They 
started  at  once  for  their  deserted  homes  at  Shawomet, 
staying  there,  however,  but  one  night,  and  then  went  to 
the  island  of  Aquidneck,  probably  in  search  of  their 
families.  Not  feeling  certain  whether  their  own  lands 
in  Warwick  were  included  within  the  prescribed  limits, 
they  wrote  to  Gov.  Winthrop,  and  were  informed  that 
they  were,  and  they  were  ordered  to  leave  them  at 
once  on  peril  of  their  lives.  They  were  kindly  received 
at  Aquidneck,  and  resided  there  till  after  the  charter  to 
the  colony  was  received  in  1644,  when  it  appears  they 
returned  and  resumed  their  residence  at  Shawomet. 
The  full  account  of  the  arrest  and  trial  may  be  found  in 
Arnold's  History  of  Rhode  Island.  Gorton's  own  ac- 
count of  the  matter  is  given  in  his  "  Simplicities  De- 
fence," the  manuscript  of  which,  owned  by  John  Holden, 
Esq.,  of  Old  Warwick,  is  at  present  in  the  archives  of 
the  R.  I.  Historical  Society. 

During  this  time  an  event  occurred,  the  account  of 
which  will  awaken  only  feelings  of  sadness  in  the  minds 
of  Rhode  Islanders.  The  brave  and  noble  young  king  of 
the  Narragansetts,  Miantonomi,  was  put  to  death  by  Uncas, 
sachem  of  the  Mohegans,  at  the  instigation  of  the  Com- 
missioners of  the  colonies.  The  circumstances  are  briefly 
these :  A  quarrel  had  arisen  between  Uncas  and  Se- 
quasson,  a  sachem  on  Connecticut  river,  who  was  a 
relative  of  Miantonomi.  The  latter  took  the  part  of  his 
relative  and  was  taken  prisoner.  "A  heavy  suit  of 
armor,  which  Gorton  had  lent  him  it  is  said  embarrassed 
his  motions''1  and  led  to  his  capture.  Uncas  conferred 
with  the  white  commissioners  as  to  what  should  be  done 
with  him.  They  decided  that  he  should  be  put  to  death 
and  ordered  Uncas  to  execute  the  sentence.  It  is  sup- 
posed on  good  authority  that  a  principal  reason  that  led 
to  this  decision  on  the  part  of  the    United   Commission- 


1642-48.]  EFFECT    UPON   THE   INDIANS.  23 

ers,  was  because  Miantonomi  had  sold  the  lands  of 
Shaworaet  to  Gorton  and  his  heterodox  companions. 
Other  reasons,  however,  were  assigned.  They  buried 
him  at  the  place  of  his  execution  in  the  east  part  of 
Norwich,  Ct.,  known  as  Sachem's  Plain.  He  was  a  true 
friend  to  Roger  Williams,  Gorton,  and  the  other  settlers, 
and  both  he  and  his  uncle  Canonicus  "  were  the  best 
friends  and  greatest  benefactors  the  coloiry  ever  had."  * 

The  return  of  the  settlers  to  their  deserted  planta- 
tions, after  their  forcible  abduction  and  imprisonment, 
favorably  impressed  the  Indians  of  their  importance. 
Their  own  failure  to  effect  the  release  of  their  honored 
and  beloved  sachem,  even  by  the  great  ransom  which 
they  offered,  and  the  violent  and  cruel  death  to 
which  the  United  Commissioners  of  the  colonies  had 
condemned  him,  had  led  them  to  expect  a  like  fate 
for  the  Warwick  colonists.  They  had  heard  also 
numerous  rumors  that  they  were  either  to  be  put  to 
death  or  be  kept  as  slaves.  They,  therefore,  con- 
cluded that  there  must  be  some  power  behind  the 
little  band  that  kept  their  enemies  from  executing  their 
threats.  Gorton  says,  "The  Indians  called  the  English 
in  their  tongue  Wattaconoges  [those  who  wear  clothes 
or  coat  men.]  They  now  called  us  Gortonoges,  and 
being  that  they  had  heard  of  a  great  war  to  be  in  Old 
England,  they  presently  framed  unto  them  a  cause  of 
our  deliverance,  imagining  that  there  were  two  kinds  of 
people  in  Old  England,  the  one  called  by  the  name  of 
Englishmen  and  the  other  Gortonoges  ;  and  concluded 
that  the  Gortonoges  were  a  mightier  people  than  the 
English,  whom  they  called  Wattaconoges,  and  therefore 
the  Massachusetts  thought  it  not  safe  to  take  away  our 
lives,  because,  however  few  there  were  of  us  in  New 
England  in  comparison  with  those  who  came  out  against 
us,  yet  that  great  people  in  old  England  would  come 
over  and  put  them  to  death  if  they  should  take  away 
our  lives.''  f 
« . 

*  R.  I.  Hist.  Soc.  Col.  Vol.  III. 
t  Simplicities  Defence. 


24  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK.  [L642-48. 


The  sachems  of  the  Narragansetts,  after  a  consulta- 
tion among  themselves,  soon  sent  for  the  "  Gortonoges" 
to  visit  them,  which  they  did  in  April,  1644.  They  were 
received  with  demonstrations  of  gladness  by  the  venera- 
ble old  sachem,  Canonicus  and  Pessicus,  the  brother 
and  successor  of  Miantonomi.  A  council  consisting  of 
"  divers  sachems  and  chief  counselors "  was  called  to 
confer  with  their  visitors.  The  Indians  were  disheart- 
ened. They  said  "  they  had  not  only  lost  their  sachem, 
so  beloved  among  them  and  such  an  instrument  of  their 
public  good,  but  had  utterly  impoverished  themselves  by 
paying  such  a  ransom  for  his  life,  as  they  then  made  us 
an  account  of,  notwithstanding  his  life  was  taken  away, 
and  that  detained  also."  The  result  of  the  council  was, 
that  they  concluded  to  submit  themselves  and  their 
lands  to  the  government  of  England,  and  they  ap- 
pointed Samuel  Gorton,  John  Wickes,  Randall  Holden 
and  John  Warner  as  their  "  commissioners  in  trust  for 
the  safety,  custody  and  conveyance  of  their  act  and  deed 
unto  the  State  of  England."  * 

John  "Wickes,  in  1637,  was  a  resident  of  Plymouth  Colony, 
where  he  and  his  wife  embraced  the  religious  views  of  Mr. 
Gorton.  On  June  2Uth,  1639,  he  was  received  as  an  inhabitant 
of  Aquidneck,  where,  with  Randall  Holden,  Richard  Carder, 
Samson  Shotten,  and  Robert  Potter,  he  came  in  collision  with 
the  authorities.  He  subsequently  filled  the  offices  of  Town 
Deputy,  Assistant,  &c.  He  was  slain  by  the  Indians  during 
Philip's  war.  Callender  says  he  was  "a  very  ancient  man." 
The  circumstances  of  his  death  will  be  referred  to  on  a  subse- 
quent page. 

Randall  Holden  was  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  men  in  the 
early  colonial  history,  the  larger  portion  of  his  life  being  spent 
in  offices  of  various  grades.  He  was  born  in  Salisbury,  Eng- 
land. Roger  Williams  and  he  were  the  witnesses  to  the  deed 
of  Rhode  Island,  given  by  Canonicus  and  Miantonomi,  March 
24,  163S.  On  March  16, 1642,  he  was  disfranchised  with  several 
others  at  Aquidneck,  but  for  what  cause  it  is  not  stated.  He 
was  elected  Marshal  of  the  Colony.  His  children  were  Ran- 
dall, who  married  Betty  Waterman;  Charles,  who  married 
Catherine  Greene;  Mary,  who  married  John,  the  son  of  Rich- 


*  A  copy  of  the  deed   signed  by  Tessicus,   Canonicus   and  his  son 
Mixam,  and  duly  witnessed,  may  be  found  in  Vol.  II.,  R.  I.  Hist.  Col. 


1642-iS.]  DEED    OF   SHAWOMET.  25 

ard  Carder;  Elizabeth,  who  married  John  Rice;  Sarah,  who 
married  Joseph  Stafford;  Margaret,  who  married  John 
Eldridge;  Susanna,  who  married  Benjamin  Greene;  Barbara, 
who  married  Samuel  Wickham,  and  Frances,  who  married  John 
Holmes.     His  descendants  are  very  numerous  in  the  State. 

Samuel  Gorton  and  Randall  Holden,  accompanied  by- 
John  Greene,  sailed  for  England  from  New  York  in  the 
same  year  (1644),  but  the  exact  date  is  unknown.  Staples 
and  Mackie  think  it  was  in  the  summer,  while  Gov. 
Arnold,  on  what  appears  good  authority,  thinks  it  was 
during  the  following  winter.  Beside  the  commissions 
from  the  native  chiefs,  they  had  other  reasons  for  wishing 
a  voyage  to  the  mother  country.  Massachusetts  claim- 
ing the  lands  of  Shawomet,  had  warned  all  persons  from 
occupying  them  without  permission  from  the  General 
Court.  The  two  subordinate  chiefs  thinking  themselves  in 
danger  had  applied  to  Massachusetts  for  protection,  and 
an  officer  and  ten  soldiers  had  been  sent  to  assist  Pumham 
to  build  a  fort  and  remain  with  them  until  the  dano-er 
was  over.*  The  Warwick  land  had  been  given  to  thir- 
ty-two petitioners,  on  condition  that  "  ten  families 
should  take  possession  within  one  year."  Even  the 
houses  of  the  settlers  were  granted  to  the  petitioners  on 
certain  conditions.  It  does  not  appear  that  they  ever 
took  possession  of  them,  however,  which  is  attributed 
to  the  bold  and  generous  position  taken  by  John  Brown, 
a  magistrate  of  Plymouth,  who  prohibited  it.  There 
was  therefore  need  that  a  better  understandinp-  should 
be  had  with  the  home  government  in  regard  to  their 
rights  and  the  vexations  to  which  they  were  subjected. 

On  their  arrival  in  England,  the  commissioners  pre- 
sented the  act  of  submission  of  the  Indians,  and  also 
their  own  memorial  against  the  colony  of  Massachusetts 
to  the  government.     In  this  latter  paper  they   complain 

*  Tradition  locates  this  fort  on  the  east  hank  of  Warwick  Cove,  near- 
ly opposite  the  Oakland  Beach  grounds  on  the  estate  of  John  Holden, 
Esq.  What  are  supposed  to  he  the  remains  of  it  may  still  he  seen 
there.  It  would  command  the  entrance  to  the  cove;  while  in  the  rear 
there  is  said  to  have  been  an  almost  impenetrable  marshy  thicket  to 
protect  it  from  that  direction. 


26  HISTORY   OF  WARWICK.  [1642-48. 

of  their  "  violent  and  injurious  expulsion  from  Shawo- 
met,:'  and  other  evil  treatment  to  which  they  had  been 
subject.  The  whole  matter  was  duly  considered  and 
the  object  of  their  mission  was  successfully  accom- 
plished. The  acquaintance  formed  by  the  commission- 
ers with  the  leading  men  in  the  English  government  at 
this  time,  was  destined  to  be  of  service  in  the  negotia- 
tions of  subsequent  years. 

The   memorial  was  subsequently    sent  by  the    Eng- 
lish Commissioners  of  Foreign  Plantations  to  Massachu- 
setts, enclosed  with  their  order  relative  to    Gorton   and 
his  company.     This  order  informed  the  magistrates  that 
they  held  the  whole  matter  in  abeyance  until  such  time 
as  they  should  be  able  to  make  their  defense,  and  in  the 
meantime  they  were  required  "  to  suffer   the  petitioners 
and  all  the  late   inhabitants   of  Narragansett   -Bay,  with 
their  families  and  all  such  as  may  hereafter  join  them, 
freely  and  quietly  to  live  and  plant  upon  Shawomet  and 
such  other  parts  of  the   said   tract   of  lands  within   the 
bounds  mentioned  in  our  said  charter   on  which   they 
have  formerly  planted  and  lived,  without  extending  your 
jurisdiction  to  any  part  thereof,  or  otherwise  disquieting 
them  in    their  consciences  or  civil  peace,  or  interrupting 
them  in  their  possession  until  such  time  as  we  shall  have 
received  your  answer  to  your  claim  in  point  of  title,  and 
you  shall  thereupon    have   received   our  farther   order 
therein."     They  were  also  required  to  remove   any   per- 
sons who  had  taken   possession    of  the  Shawomet  lands 
by  their  authority,  if  there  were  such,  and  to  permit  the 
petitioners  to  pass,  through  their  territory  without  moles- 
tation  to   their   own  lands,    a  provision  which  they   af- 
terwards found  of  importance.     A    copy  of  this   order, 
dated  May  15,  1646,  with  the  correspondence  and   final 
conclusions    in    the    matter,  may    be    found   in    Gov. 
Winthrop's  Journal,  and  also  in  Staples',  and  forms  an 
important  portion  of  the  history  of  the  town. 

Thus  far  the  commissioners  had  reason  to  congratulate 
themselves  upon  the  success  of  their  mission.  They  had 
found  a    friend   in  the  Earl    of    Warwick,  Governor-in- 


1642 -- 48.]  TOWN  CALLED   WARWICK.  27 


chief  of  Foreign  Plantations,  whom  they  subsequently 
honored  by  bestowing  his  name  upon  their  settlement. 

Randall  Holden  returned  home,  landing  in  Boston, 
Sept.  loth,  1646.  He  brought  with  him  the  order  of 
the  English  commissioners  and  delivered  it  to  the  Massa- 
chusetts authorities.  After  some  hesitation  lie  was 
allowed  to  land  and  to  pass  through  the  State  to  his 
home  at  Shawomet.  Gorton  still  remained  in  England 
to  watch  the  course  of  events  until  1648,  when  he  also 
returned  and  landed  at  Boston,  May  10th  of  that  year. 
The  General  Court  of  Massachusetts  was  then  in  session, 
and  promptly  passed  an  order  for  his  apprehension.  But 
Gorton,  perhaps  anticipating  such  an  event,  was  pre- 
pared for  it,  having  secured  a  letter  of  protection  from 
the  Earl  of  Warwick  previous  to  his  departure  from 
England.  The  provision  in  the  communication  from  the 
English  commissioners  to  Massachusetts,  which  Holden 
brought  over  and  which  secured  him  from  arrest  on  his 
landing,  was  not  considered  sufficient  to  shield  Gorton, 
although  the  language  was  very  explicit  in  regard  to  that 
matter  ;  but  upon  his  producing  the  letter  from  the  Earl 
of  Warwick,  the  order  of  the  Court  was  revoked  by  the 
casting  vote  of  the  Governor,  and  a  week  was  given  him 
to  leave  the  State.  It  will  be  remembered  that  they 
both  had  been  banished  from  the  State  and  were  not  to 
be  found  within  its  limits  after  a  certain  specified  time, 
under  pain  of  death. 

Upon  the  reception  of  the  order  of  the  English  com- 
missioners by  Massachusetts,  brought  by  Holden, 
Edward  Winslow,  was  sent  to  England  as  her  com- 
missioner to  attend  to  affairs,  bearing  a  lengthy  answer 
to  the  Warwick  memorial. *  They  say  in  their  answer, 
"It  appears  to  us  by  the  said  order  that  we  are  conceived, 
1st,  to  have  transgressed  our  limits  by  sending  soldiers  to 
fetch  Gorton,  &c,  out  of  Shawomet  in  the  Narragansett 
Bay ;  2d,  that  we  have  either  exceeded  or  abused  our 
authority  in  banishing  them  out  of  our  jurisdiction  when 


*Both  the  commission  of  Mr.  Winslow  and  the  answer  to  the  War' 
wick  memorial  may  be  found  in  "Winthrop'a  Journal." 


28  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1642-48. 

they  were  in  our  power."  The  discussion  of  those 
points  formed  the  principal  portion  of  the  commu- 
nication. 

The  result  of  Mr.  Winslow's  mission  is  given  by  Gov. 
Winthrop,  which  is  substantially  as  follows  :  "  Upon  his 
arrival  in  England  a  day  was  appointed  for  him  to  meet 
the  Committee  on  Foreign  Plantations,  and  Gorton  also 
appeared  by  request  to  defend  the  settlers  of  this  town. 
The  discussion  was  chiefly  upon  the  matter  of  jurisdiction. 
The  defence  of  Massachusetts,  as  set  forth  in  their  reply, 
was  1st,  that  they  were  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Plymouth 
or  Connecticut,  and  so  the  orders  of  the  Commissioners 
of  the  United  Colonies  had  left  them  to  us ;  2d,  the 
Indians  upon  Avhose  lands  they  dwelt  had  subjected 
themselves  and  their  lands  to  our  government."  The 
English  commissioners  were  still  undecided,  and  re- 
affirmed generally  their  former  order,  but  said,  "  If  it 
shall  appear  that  the  said  tract  is  within  the  limits  of 
an}'-  of  the  New  England  patents,  we  shall  leave  the  same 
and  the  inhabitants  thereof  to  the  proper  jurisdiction  of 
that  government  under  which  they  shall  fall."  But 
they  further  said  that  inasmuch  as  "  the  petitioners  have 
transplanted  their  families  thither  and  there  settled  their 
residences  at  great  charge,  we  commend  it  to  the  govern- 
ment within  whose  jurisdiction  they  shall  appear  to  be 
(as  our  desire  at  present  in  this  matter,)  not  only  not  to 
remove  them  from  their  plantations,  but  also  to  encour- 
age them  Avith  protection  and  assistance  in  all  fit  ways." 

This  communication  "was  dated  July  22d,  1647,  and  a 
copy  sent  to  both  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut.  The 
point  of  jurisdiction  thus  remained  unsettled,  and  the 
controversy  was  prolonged  for  more  than  thirty  years. 

It  afterward  became  involved,  as  we  shall  see,  in  the 
greater  dispute  arising  from  the  subjection  of  the  Narra- 
gansett  Indians  and  their  lands  to  England,  which  virtu- 
ally annexed  them  to  Rhode  Island. 

But  the  settlers  at  Shawomet  had  gained  one  important 
point  which  was  of  great  benefit.  Their  opponents  were 
virtually  instructed  to  let  them  alone,  which,  however, 


1642-4S.]        MASSACHUSETTS   versus   WARWICK.  29 

contained  the  proviso — an  important  one  where  such 
spirits  as  Gorton  were  concerned — that  the  settlers  "de- 
mean themselves  peacefully  and  not  endanger  any  of  the 
English  colonies  by  a  prejudicial  correspondency  with  the 
Indians  or  otherwise ;  wherein  if  they  shall  be  found 
faulty,  we  leave  them  to  be  proceeded  with  according  to 
justice." 

In  passing  judgment  upon  the  course  of  Massachusetts 
in  her  treatment  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  town,  we 
must  take  into  consideration  not  only  the  ground  of  her 
claims  to  civil  jurisdiction  over  this  territory,  but  also  the 
wide  difference  in  the  religious  sentiments  of  the  two  col- 
onies  as  well  as  the  previous  relations  subsisting  between 
their  inhabitants.  At  the  time,  Massachusetts  had  a 
government  regularly  established  by  virtue  of  a  charter 
from  the  English  crown,  while  Rhode  Island  had  none. 
The  principle  upon  which  she  claimed  jurisdiction  out  of 
the  bounds  of  her  patent,  was  that  of  the  submission  of 
the  inhabitants  with  their  lands  to  her  government.  .  A 
respectable  minority  at  Providence,  on  JNTov.  17.  1641, 
had  been  constrained,  as  we  have  already  seen,  to  ask 
her  assistance  against  Gorton  and  his  companions,  and  in 
1642  four  persons  of  that  town  had  submitted  themselves 
and  their  lands  to  her  jurisdiction.  Several  persons  at 
Pawtuxet  had  done  the  same  for  similar  reasons.  Pom- 
ham  and  Sacononoco  had  also  done  the  same,  and  the  for- 
mer had  repudiated  the  sale  of  Shawomet.  Gorton  and 
his  companions  had  already,  while  residing  in  Massachu- 
setts, given  the  authorities  trouble,  and  after  coming  here 
had  manifested  the  same  restless  and  independent  spirit 
— to  use  no  stronger  terms — and  had  openly  defied  her. 
All  these  matters  are  to  be  duly  weighed  in  making  up 
our  judgment  in  the  case.  She  failed  to  establish  her 
claim  of  jurisdiction,  but  exercised  the  right  of  might, 
which,  under  the  provocations,  was  natural  though  un- 
justifiable. In  her  estimation  the  little  band  was  "no 
State,"  but  a  company  of  heretics,  whose  heresies  and 
"insolencies"  were  not  to  be  condoned,  but  to  be  purged 
by  punishments.     That  she  was  severe  in  her  judgments 

»3 


30  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK.  [1642-48. 

is  admitted,  that  she  was  sincere  in  her  convictions  will 
not  be  denied. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  General  Assembly  of  Rhode 
Island  and  Providence  Plantations  was  held  in  Ports- 
month,  on  the  19th  of  March,  1047,  to  formally  adopt  the 
charter,  and  organize  a  government  under  it.  The 
towns  of  Providence,  Newport  and  Portsmouth  are  alone 
mentioned  in  the  charter,  but  after  its  temporary  organi- 
zation "it  was  agreed  that  Warwick  should  have  the 
same  privileges  as  Providence."  Randall  Holden  was 
the  Assistant  from  Warwick,  an  office  corresponding  to 
that  of  State  Senator  at  the  present  day.  The  mode' of 
passing  general  laws,  was  then  prescribed,  and  various 
laws  enacted.  Six  men  from  each  town  were  to  be  an- 
nually chosen  bv  each  town  to  represent  it  in  the  Assem- 
bly.* 

The  first  writing  bearing  a  date  on  the  records  pre- 
served in  the  archives  of  the  town,  is  in  the  following 
words  : — 

"Having  now  received  ye  orders  (this  8th  day  of  August.)  from 
ye  general  recorder  wee  have  chosen  ye  Town  Counsill,  being 
a  generall  Assemblie  order."  John  Greene, Ezekiel  Holliman, 
John  Warner,  Rufus  Barton,  John  Wickea  and  Randall  Holden, 
Town  Council;  Rufus  Barton  and  John  Wickes,  magistrates; 
John  Warner,  clerk;  Henry  Townsend,  Constable,  and  Chris- 
topher Helme,  sergeant. 

Christopher  Helme  was  one  of  the  "  received"  inhabitants  of 
Warwick.  On  the  23d  of  January  1G4U  he  was  disfranchised 
"  for  going  about  to  undermine  the  liberties  of  the  town."  The 
censure  was  subsequently  removed  and  he  resided  in  town  till 
his  death.    He  left  a  son  William. 

John  Greene,  the  founder  of  the  family  in  this  country,  came 
from  Salisbury,  in  England,  but  at  what  precise  date  is  un- 
known. He  was  the  son  of  Peter  Greene,  and  was  bora  Feb- 
ruary 9, 1596-7.  By  profession  he  was  a  surgeon.  He  first  set- 
tled in  Massachusetts,  but  subsequently  removed  to  Providence, 
where  his  name  appears  as  fifth  in  Roger  Williams'  first  deed. 
His  wife,  five  sons  and  one  daughter  accompanied  him.  He 
afterwards  returned  to  Boston,  where  he  soon  became  involved 
in  some  difficulty  with  the  magistrates,  as  was  the  case  with 
nearly  all  the  original  settlers  of  Rhode  Island.     Having  been 

*  Colonial  Records,  Vol.  I,  pp.  148,  149. 


1642-18.]  JOHN   GREENE.  31 

examined  before  the  court  he  was  fined  <£20,  and  banished  from 
the  state.  Upon  his  1;  submission,"  his  fine  was  remitted,  but 
he  returned  to  Providence,  where  ''  he  retracted  his  submission 
by  letter  and  charged  the  magistrates  with  usurping  the  power 
of  Christ  in  his  church,  and  with  persecution  toward"  Williams." 
From  this  circumstance  we  infer  that  the  trouble  was  of  a 
religious  nature. 

John  Greene  seems  to  have  preferred  a  residence  in  a  state 
where  there  were  no  witches  to  be  hung,  and  where  the  utmost 
liberty  was  allowed  in  religious  matters,  and  here  he  took  up 
his  permanent  abode  and  became  one  of  the  leading  men  in  the 
colon}-.  In  1641,  on  the  submission  of  the  Narragansett  In- 
dians, he  went  to  England  with  Gorton  and  Holden,  as  agents 
to  look  after  the  interests  of  both  the  Indians  and  his  own  towns- 
men. In  1617  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  committee  of  ten 
to  organize  the  Colonial  Government  under  the'Parliamentary 
charter.  He  was  appointed  several  times  a  General  Assistant. 
He  lived  and  died  at  Occupasnetuxet,  now  known  as  Spring 
Green,  or  the  Gov.  Francis  estate. 

John  Greene  had  three  wives  ;  the  first,  Joane  Tatersalle, 
whom   he  married  Nov.  1,1619;  the  second,  Alse  Daniels,  of 

Providence;  and  the  third,  Phillip of  London.     He  died 

between  Dec.  28, 1658,  and  Jan.  7,  1659.  He  had  six  children, 
who  were  baptized  as  per  register  of  ht.  Thomas  Church,  [Salis- 
bury, Eng.,  as  follows:  John,  Aug.  15, 1620;  Peter,  March  10, 
1621-2;  James,  June  21,  1626;  Thomas,  June  1,  1628;  Joane, 
Oct.  3, 1630  ;  Mary.  May  19, 1633.  His  will,  which  was  witnessed 
by  John  Wickes  and  Anthony  Low,  bears  the  date  of  Dec.  28, 
1658.  In  it  he  gave  to  his  "  beloved  wife  Philip  Greene  yt  part 
of  buildinge,  being  all  new  erected  and  containing  A  large  hall 
and  Chimui  with  A  Little  chamber  joining  to  the  hall  as  also  a 
large  chamber  with  a  little  chamber  within  yt,  with  a  large  gar- 
ret with  a  Little  dary  room  which  buttes  agaiust  ye  oule  house, 
to  enioy  deuring  her  life;  allso  I  give  unto  her  half  ye  orchard; 
allso  I  give  unto  her  my  Lott  adjoining  to  ye  orchard  together 
with  ye  swamp  which  the  Towne  granted  me."  After  some 
other  bequests  to  his  wife,  he  gave  to  his  son  John  the  neck  of 
land  called  Occupasnetuxet,  with  an  adjoining  meadow  and  a 
small  island,  all  of  which  he  says  he  bought  of  Miantonomi. 
To  his  other  children  he  bequeathed  other  tracts  of  land  includ- 
ing his  portion  of  the  Warwick  purchase,  and  appointed  his 
wite  sole  executrix  of  the  will. 

The  town  was  now  duly  organized,  with,  a  government 
which  the  settlers,  rigid  constructionists  as  they  were,  be- 
lieved was  legally  derived  and  qualified  to  act  in  all  mat- 
ters necessary  to  the  mutual  protection  and  prosperity  of 
its  inhabitants.    The  General  Assembly  with  commenda- 


32  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1642-4S. 

ble  wisdom  and  promptness,  enacted  a  code  of  laws 
adapted  to  the  condition  of  the  colony,  and  which  "for 
simplicity  of  diction,  unencumbered  as  it  is  by  the  super- 
fluous verbiage  that  clothes  our  modern  statutes  in  learned 
obscurity ;  lor  breadth  of  comprehension,  embracing  as 
it  does  the  foundation  of  the  whole  body  of  law,  on  every 
subject  which  has  since  been  adopted ;  and  for  vigor  and 
originality  of  thought  and  boldness  of  expression,  as  well 
as  for  the  vast  significance  and  the  .brilliant  triumph  of 
the  principles  it  embodies,  presents  a  model  of  legislation 
which  has  never  been  surpassed."* 

COPY   OF  THE   TOWN   CHARTER. 

"Whereas  bj'  virtue  of  a  free  and  absolute  Charter  of  civill  in- 
corporation, granted  to  the  free  inhabitants  of  this  Collony  or 
Province  by  tlie  right  honourable  Robert  Eaiie  of  Warwicke 
Governour  in  Chiefe  with  the  rest  of  tiie  honourable  Commis- 
sioners, bearing  date  the  lourteenth  day  of  March  in  the  year  one 
thousand  six  hundred  and  forty  three,  givinge  and  grantinge 
full  power  and  authority  unto  the  sayd  inhabitants  to  govern 
themselves  and  such  others  as  shall  come  among  them;  as  also 
to  make,  constitute,  and  ordeyne  such  lawes,  orders,  and  con- 
stitutions, and  to  inflict  such  punishments  and  penalties,  as  is 
conformable  to  the  Laws  of  England,  so  neare  as  the  nature 
and  constitution  of  the  place  will  admit;  and  which  may  best 
suit  the  estate  and  condition  there:  and  whereas  the  sayd  towns 
of  Providence,  Portsmouth,  Newport  and  Warwick  are  far  re- 
mote each  from  other  whereby  so  olten  and  free  intercourse 
of  helpe  in  desidinge  of  differences  and  trying  of  causes  and 
the  like,  cannot  easily  and  at  all  times  be  had  and  procured  as 
in  this  kind  is  requisitt;  Therefore,  and  upon  the  petition  and 
humble  request  of  the  freemen  of  the  Towne  of  Warwicke  ex- 
hibited unto  tuis  present  session  of  General  Assembly,  wherein 
they  desire  freedom  and  liberty,  to  incorporate  themselves  into 
a  body  politicke  etc.  Wee  the  sayd  Assembly  havinge  duly 
weighed  and  seriously  considered  the  premises  and  being  wil- 
linge  and  ready  to  provide  tor  the  ease  and  liberty  of  the  people 
have  thought  fit  and  by  the  authorite  aforesaid  and  by  these 
presents  doe  give,  grant,  consigue  and  confirm  this  present 
charter  to  the  sa}'d  inhabitants  of  the  Town  of  Warwick,  allow- 
inge,  ordennge  and  hereby  authorizing  them  or  themaior  part 
of  them  from  time  to  time  to  transact  all  such  Town  afayers 
as  shall  fall  within  the  verge,  liberties  and  precincts  of  the 

*  Arnold,  Vol.  I. 


1642-48.]  TOWN   CHARTER.  3S 

sayd  town;  and  also  to  make  and  constitute  such  particular 
orders,  penalties  and  officers  as  may  best  suite  with  the  Consti- 
tution ot  said  Towne  and  Townshippe  for  the  well  ordering  and 
governinge  thereof'e;  provided  the  sayd  lawes  constitutions  and 
punishments  for  the  civil  government  thereofe  be  conform- 
able to  the  Lawes  of  England,  so  far  as  the  nature  and  consti- 
tution of  that  town  will  admit;  and  to  that  end  we  doe  authorize 
them  to  erect  a  Court  of  Justice  and  do  give  them  power  to  ex- 
ecute such  particular  orders  and  penalties,  and  so  many  of  the 
common  lawes  agreed  in  the  Generall,  and  their  penalties  as 
are  not  annexed  already  to  the  General  Court  of  Try  alls;  and 
further  we  do  hereby  order  the  sayd  town  to  elect  and  engage 
all  such  officers  as  shall  be  necessary  for  the  propagation 
of  Justice  and  judgment  therein,  upon  the  hist  Monday 
in  the  month  of  June  annually  forever  hereafter:  shall 
engadge  them  in  fidelity  to  maintaine  the  honor,  crown  and 
dignity  of  the  State  of  England  as  loyal  subjects  thereofe  to 
the  utmost  of  their  power,  the  liberties  and  freedom  of  this 
Collony  and  the  privileges  of  the  town  wherein  they  bear  office, 
and  further  wee  do  hereby  invest  and  authorize  the  sayd  officers 
so  elected  and  engaged  with  full  power  to  transact  in  the  prem- 
ises and  in  so  doinge  shall  be  hereby  secured  and  indemnified. 
Given  at  Portsmouth  at  the  General  Assembly,  there  held 
this  14th  of  March  anno.  1648. 

JOHN  WARNER, 

Clerk  of  the  Assembly. 

Copia  Vera  sicut  attestat  Johannes  Gueenr,  Secritarius 
ex  civitate  Warwick. 


34  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1648-63. 


CHAPTER  III. 

From  the  granting  of  the  Town  Charter  in  1648,  to  the  adoption 
of  the  Royal  Charter  by  the  R.  I.  Colony  in  November,  1663. 

The  earliest  records  of  the  town  preserved  in  the 
Clerk's  office  reach  back  to  the  appointment  ot  its  first 
officers  in  1647,  or  about  five  years  subsequent  to  the 
original  purchase  of  the  lands  from  the  Indians.  Some 
items  without  date  appear  to  have  been  written  at  an  ear- 
lier period.  The  ancient  volume  containing  them  (now 
before  me)  is  about  ten  inches  square  by  two  inches 
thick.  It  contains  the  history  of  the  town  from  the 
adoption  of  the  charter  in  1647  down  to  1668.  The  vol- 
ume was  used  for  several  purposes.  The  first  fifty  pages 
(less  than  one-fourth  of  the  whole  number)  contain  the 
records  of  the  town  council  in  stenography ;  the  upper 
half  of  each  page  being  used,  leaving  the  lower  half 
blank  ;  it  may  have  been  the  intention  to  use  the  lower 
parts  for  a  translation  of  the  upper  at  a  then  future  time. 
This  was  not  done,  however,  and  eventually  the  blanks 
were  appropriated  for  different  purposes,  as  for  instance, 
the  record  of  the  "ear  marks"  of  cattle,  some  of  the 
records  being  made  as  late  as  the  year  1814.  Following 
the  records  of  the  council  are  those  of  the  town  meetings, 
lawsuits,  transfer  of  real  estate,  and  all  the  Indian  deeds 
subsequent  to  1642.  The  thirteenth  leaf  of  this  portion 
of  the  book  was  torn  out  by  order  of  the  town  when 
Charles  2d  of  England  ascended  the  throne.  It  con- 
tained the  act  of  submission  to  the  Commonwealth  under 
Cromwell.     A  part  of  the  fourteenth  leaf  is  also  gone, 


1 


1648-63.]  TOWN  RECORDS.  35 

but  the  remaining  half,  containing  what  appear  to  be  the 
autographs  of  the  original  and  "received"  purchasers  of 
the  town,  some  thirty  in  number,  still  remains.  The 
leaf  is  torn  obliquely,  leaving  a  portion  of  eight  or  ten 
lines  of  the  "submission."  The  records  are  almost  illecri- 
ble  from  the  peculiar  penmanship,  fading  of  theink,mode 
of  spelling,  and  the  natural  wear  of  over  two  hundred 
and  thirty-five  years,  and  many  of  the  leaves  are  detached 
from  the  binding.  The  volume  should  be  carefully 
repaired  and  sacredly  preserved  in  the  town  archives. 

In  1860,  the  town  appointed  Messrs.  William  Carder 
and  Henry  L.  Greene  a  committee  to  transcribe  this  old 
volume,  at  an  expense  not  exceeding  $300.  They  em- 
ployed Henry  Rousmaniere,  Esq.,  to  perform  the  work, 
and  subsequently  reported  to  the  town  that  it  had  been 
performed  in  a  satisfactory  manner.  Some  portions  of 
the  record  that  were  not  deemed  important  were  omitted 
in  the  transcript.  It  would  have  been  better  to  have 
copied  the  whole,  and  to  have  had  the  pages  of  the  tran- 
script correspond  with  those  of  the  original. 

John  Warner  was  the  first  town  clerk  under  the  char- 
ter, and  the  penmanship  of  the  earlier  portion  of  the  old 
volume  corresponds  with  that  of  his  autographic  signa- 
ture attached  to  the  "act  of  submission." 

Some  of  the.town  laws  enacted  during  the  first  year  of 
the  chartered  government  are  of  a  somewhat  novel  char- 
acter, and  throw  light  upon  the  condition  of  things  at 
the  time.  They  are  not  always  expressed  with  that  pre- 
cision that  marks  the  statutes  of  the  present  day,  but 
they  harmonize  with  the  mode  of  thought  and  expres- 
sion of  that  time.  Here  are  a  couple  passed  by  the  town  : 
"Wee  conclud  that  Towne  meeting  [council  meeting?] 
to  bee  held  ye  first  Monday  in  every  moonth,  and  that 
ye  Clarke  is  to  have  2s.  6d.  for  each  day  of  meeting." 
And  "  That  by  maior  consent  or  ye  whole  Towne,  it  is 
ordered  that  if  12  Townsmen  meet  in  one  day  appointed 
for  Towne  meeting,  they  shall  have  power  to  act  in 
Towne  affairs  as  though  all  were  present." 

At  the  first  General  Assembly  it  was  "  ordered  that 


36  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK.  [1648-63. 

the  Courte  of  Election  shall  always  be  held  upon  the 
first  Tuesday  after  the  15th  of  May  annually  if  wind  or 
weather  hinder  not."  Also  "that  none  shall  goe 
out  of  the  courte  without  leave  ;  or  if  any  do  depart  he 
shall  leave  his  vote  behind  him,  that  his  power  remain 
though  his  person  be  absent."  That  "  all  ye  inhabitants 
in  each  Towne  shall  choose  their  military  officers  from 
among  themselves  on  the  first  Tuesday  after  the  12th  of 
March ;  and  that  eight  severall  times  in  the  yeare,  the 
Bands  of  each  plantation  or  Towne  shall,  openlie  in  the 
field  be  exercised  and  disciplined  by  their  Commanders 
and  Officers." 

Here  is  one  to  provide  for  sudden  attacks  from  the  In- 
dians or  other  enemies  :  "  It  is  ordered  that  in  regard  to 
ye  many  incursions  that  we  are  subject  unto,  and  that  an 
Alarum  for  ye  giving  of  notice  thereof  is  necessary  when 
occasion  is  offered,  it  is  agreed  that  this  form  be  observed, 
vidg't:  Three  muskets  distinctly  discharged,  and  a  Her- 
ald appointed  to  go  speedily  threw  the  Towne,  and  crie 
Alarum !  Alarum !  and  the  drum  to  beat  incessantly ; 
upon  which  all  are  to  repaire  (upon  forfeiture  as  the 
Towne  Councill  shall  order)  unto  the  Towne  House  ther 
■to  receive  information  of  the  Town  Councill  what  is  far- 
ther to  be  done." 

The  colonists  were  not  in  favor  of  curtain  lectures,  and 
made  the  following  law  for  their  protection,  whether  ap- 
plicable to  both  sexes  or  not,  does  not  appear :  "  It  is  or- 
dered, Common  Scoulds  shall  be  punished  with  the 
Duckinge  Stoole."  Witchcraft  was  punishable  with 
death. 

To  provide  for  the  common  defence,  it  was  enacted 
that  "  that  statute  touching  Archerie  shall  be  revived 
and  propagated  throwout  the  whole  Colonie ;  and  that 
every  person  from  the  age  of  seventeen  yeares  to  the  age 
of  seventy,  that  is  not  lame,  debilitated  in  body  or  other- 
wise exempted  by  the  Colonie,  shall  have  a  Bow  and 
four  arrowes  and  shall  use  and  exercise  shooting ;  and 
eveiy  Father  having  Children,  shall  provide  for  every 
man-child  from   the  age   of  seven  years,  till  he  come  to 


1648-63.]  MARRIAGE  LAWS.  37 

seventeen  yeares,  a  Bow  and  two  Arrowes  or  shafts  to 
induce  them,  and  to  bring  them  up  to  shooting." 

Marriage  was  regarded  as  a  civil  contract  between  the 
parties,  and  could  only  be  legally  contracted  by  "  such 
as  are  in  the  first  place  with  the  parents,  then  orderly 
published  in  two  severall  meetings  of  the  Townsmen 
and  lastly  confirmed  before  the  head  officer  of  the 
Towne,  and  entered  into  the  Towne  clerk's  Booke." 
The  following  is  a  copy  of  a  marriage  recorded  in  the 
town  clerk's  office  in  the  earliest  book  of  records : 

"  Gabriell  Hike  having  obtained  the  good  will  and  approba- 
tyon  of  Mr.  William  Arnold  together  with  the  neighbors  of 
Patuxit  for  the  taking  of  Mary  Perry  for  his  wedded  wife;  they 
beicg  instead  of  parents  unto  her,  as  also  bestowing  a  portion 
unto  him  with  her;  did  desire  me,  Henry  Reddocke,  town 
clerke  of  Warwick,  they  being  both  in  town,  to  publish  them, 
which  I  accordingly  did  twise  in  the  town  meeting,  the  first  of 
March  1657  and  the  2d  of  March  '57;  divers  neighbors  being  at 
the  wedding  house,  I  the  clerke  was  sent  for  and  there  in  the 
audience  of  twentie  or  thirtie  persons,  I  published  them  the 
3d  time;  and  in  view  of  the  aforesayd  neighbors,  the  said  Ga- 
briell Hike  did  take  unto  him  the  aforesaid  Mary  Perry  for  his 
wedded  wife." 

To  provide  for  any  failure  of  the  town  to  choose  their 
representatives  to  the  General  Assembly,  it  was  "ordered 
that  six  men  of  each  Towne  shall  be  chosen,  in  whom  ye 
General  Court  shall  continue ;  and  each  Towne  here 
shall  have  the  choice  of  their  men  if  they  please  ;  or  if 
any  Towne  refuse,  the  Court  shall  choose  them  for  them  ; 
if  any  else  beside  will  tarry,  they  may  whose  help  is  de- 
sired." 

The  desire  for  office  manifested  in  our  day  does  not 
seem  to  have  been  quite  as  strong  in  the  early  history  of 
the  colony,  when  it  was  regarded  rather  as  a  burden  than 
an  honor.  At  a  meeting  of  the  General  Assembly,  held 
in  this  town  May  22d,  1649,  at  which  John  Smith,  of 
Warwick,  was  chosen  President  of  the  colony  for  that 
year,  it  was  "  ordered,  that  if  a  President  elected,  shall 
refuse  to  serve  in  that  Generall  Office,  that  then  he  shall 
pay  a  fine  of  ten  pounds.     And   the  Generall  Assistant 


38  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1648-63. 


that  refuseth  to  serve  after  having  been  chosen  shall  pay 
a  fine  of  five  pounds."  Smith  refused  to  serve,  and  also 
Samuel  Gorton,  who  was  chosen  the  same  year  General 
Assistant  for  Warwick,  and  they  were  both  fined,  but 
their  fines  were  subsequently  remitted.  At  a  subsequent 
year  (1659)  a  prospective  election  was  graciously  pro- 
vided for  in  behalf  of  Randall  Holden  in  the  following : 
"  It  is  ordered  that  Mr.  Randall  Houlden  if  he  be  chosen 
the  next  yeare  to  Generall  Office  shall  not  then  be  com- 
pelled to  serve  against  his  will,  butt  freed  without  pay- 
inge  fine,  which  is  graunted  upon  his  request,  having 
fowned  a  burden  in  servinge  for  severall  yeares  together." 
At  the  present  day  there  are  usually  several  who  would 
prefer  to  accept  the  gubernatorial  office  rather  than  pay 
a  heavy  fine,  an  evidence,  perhaps,  of  the  superior,  self- 
ignoring  patriotism  of  the  present  age. 

The  venerable  Canonicus,  chief  sachem  of  the  Narra- 
gansetts,  died  June  4,  1649.  In  the  deed  or  act  of  sub- 
mission of  his  tribe  to  the  government  of  England  in 
1644,  he  is  styled  "  that  ancient  Canonicus,  Protector  of 
that  late  deceased  Miantonomy  during  the  time  of  his 
non-age."  In  relation  to  his  ancestors,  the  Indians  held 
a  tradition  that  there  existed  formerly  a  chieftain  more 
powerful  than  any  of  their  day,  whose  name  was  Tash- 
tassuck.  He  had  two  children,  a  son  and  a  daughter, 
whom  he  could  not  match  in  dignity  outside  of  his  own 
family,  and  so  he  married  them  to  each  other.  Their  is- 
sue was  four  sons,  of  whom  Canonicus  was  the  eldest.* 
He  had  been  the  chief  of  his  tribe  many  years,  and  at 
the  time  of  the  first  settlement  of  the  colony  was  held  in 
high  esteem  by  his  people  and  the  new  settlers.  Roger 
Williams,  who  understood  the  Indian  character,  and  was 
'ntimate  with  many  of  the  principal  chiefs  of  New  Eng- 
land, and  was  probably  the  most  influential  white  man 
in  the  country  with  them,  speaks  of  him  in  his  Key  as 
"the  old  high  Sachem  of  Nariganset  Bay  (a  wise  and 
peaceable  prince)."     He  says  that  uonce  in  a  solemn 


*  Hutchingson's,  Mass.,  i,  458. 


1648-63.]  DEATH  OF   CANONICUS.  39 

oration  to  myself  in  a  solemn  assembly  using  the  word 
wunnaumwayean  (if  lie  speak  true,)  said,  I  have  never 
suffered  any  wrong  to  be  offered  to  the  English  since 
they  landed,  nor  never  will ;  he  often  repeated  the 
word  if  the  Englishman  speak  true,  if  he  meane  truly, 
then  shall  I  go  to  my  grave  in  peace  and  hope  that  the 
English  and  my  posterity  shall  live  in  peace  together." 
"  Their  late  famous  lonoxLived  Canonicus  so  lived  and 
died,  and  in  the  same  most  honorable  manner  and  so- 
lemnity (in  their  way)  as  you  laid  to  sleep  your  pru- 
dent peacemaker  Mr.  Winthrop,  did  they  honor  this 
their  prudent  and  peaceable  prince."  * 

With  the  Warwick  colonists  he  was  on  terms  of  peace 
and  friendship,  which  resulted  at  times  in  serious  dis- 
advantage to  himself  and  his  people.  I  find  no  in- 
stance mentioned  in  the  several  accounts  of  contempo- 
rary writers  where  his  fidelity  was  questioned.  And 
for  the  honor  of  the  Warwick  settlers  it  may  be  said, 
that  though  he  had  reason  to  suspect  the  motives  of  the 
white  men  generally,  he  seemed  to  regard  those  of  this 
town  as  worthy  of  confidence.  Thus  passed  away  the 
venerable  Indian  Prince,  upon  a  portion  of  whose  hunt- 
ing grounds  the  present  thriving  manufacturing  villages 
and  pleasant  homes  of  this  town  are  situated. 

The  three  most  powerful  sachems  of  the  Narragan 
setts  now,  were  Pessicus,  brother  and  successor  of  Mi- 
antonomi,  Ninigret,  chief  of  the  Niantics,  and  Mexam, 
son  and  heir  of  Canonicus.  But  the  glory  of  the  tribe 
was  fast  fading  away,  and  the  desponding  hope  of  the 
brave  old  chief  for  his  posterity  was  not  to  be  realized. 

The  following  is  the  list  of  persons  received  as  "  in- 
habitants "  of  the  town  previous  to  June  5th,  1648,  L 
their  order  as  given  in  the  town  records  :     (The  origi- 
nal twelve  purchasers  have  already  been  given.) 

Eufus  Barton,  Hend.  Townsend,  Chris.  TJnthanke,  Ezek. 
Holliman,  Jo.  Lipet,  Kichard  Townsend,  Peter  Greene,  Tho. 
Thomcraft,  James  Greene,  Thomas  Greene,  Steuk.  Westcot, 

*  Letter  of  Roger  Williams. 


40  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK.  [1648-63. 


Mr.  *  Jo.  Smith,  Mr.  Nic.  Hart,  Mr.  Walter  Tod,  Jo.  Cooke, 
John  Greene,  Jr.,  Robert  Westcott,  John  Sweete,  John  Town- 
send,  Peter  Burzecott,  John  Downinge,  Edward  Inman,  James 
Sweete,  John  Durbin,  Thomas  Erington,  George  Palmer,  Amos 
Westcote,  John  Garreard,  John  Hayden,  Mr.  Robert  Coles, 
John  Potter. 

Stukely  Westcott  was  a  resident  of  Salem  previous  to  July 
1639,  where  the  church  passed  "  the  great  censure"  upon  him 
and  his  wife.  Roth  either  before  or  after  leaving  Salem  had 
embraced  the  religious  sentiments  and  been  baptized  by  Roger 
Williams,  which  was  probably  the  reason  for  the  action  of  the 
church  in  Salem.  It  is  said  that  he  denied  that  the  churches  of 
Massachusetts  were  true  churches.  His  daughter  Damaris 
married  the  son  of  Renedict  Arnold,  Mercy,  another  daughter, 
married  Samuel  Stafford.  He  had  six  sons,  viz.,  Jeremiah, 
William,  Samuel,  Josiah,  Benjamin,  and  Stukely. 

Rufus  Barton  came  from  England,  but  at  what  date  is  not 
known.  He  first  settled  where  the  city  of  New  York  now 
stands,  and  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  settler  there.  He  soon 
removed  to  Long  Island  and  thence  to  Aquidneck,  and  finally 
to  Warwick,  where  he  continued  to  reside  until  his  death.  He 
built  a  "  Thatch  house"  on  the  east  side  of  the  road  that  leads 
down  the  Neck,  at  the  head  of  Warwick  Cove,  south  of  the 
Gorton  place.  An  old  well  in  a  vacant  lot  is  supposed  to  bear 
some  relation  to  the  ancient  dwelling.  A  portion  or  all  of  the 
homestead  estate  is  now  owned  by  Benjamin  Rufus  Barton,  a 
descendant  of  the  seventh  generation.  His  religious  views 
were  of  the  Quaker  order.  His  wife's  name  was  Margaret. 
His  children  are  mentioned  in  his  will  which  was  made  for  him 
by  the  town  council  in  1648.  Benjamin  married  Susannah, 
daughter  of  Samuel  Gorton  .  There  were  two  daughters,  Eliza- 
beth and  Phebe.  Rufus  Barton,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Susan- 
nah (Gorton)  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Rowland  and  Mary 
(Allen)  Robinson,  of  Narragansett,  one  of  whose  children, 
(Rowland)  born  April  7,  1709,  married  Freelove  Stafford, 
daughter  of  Amos. 


Lots  of  land,  generally  of  six  acres,  were  set  off  to 
these  persons.  Their  location  and  bounds  are  given 
in  the  record,  but  no  formal  deeds  of  land  were  made 
until  1650,  when  Mr.  Holliman,  Mr.  Warner  and 
Henry   Townsend   were   appointed   a   committee  "  to 

*The  title  "  Mr."  at  this  time  seems  to  have  been  an  honorary  one, 
equivalent,  perhaps,  to  that  of  "Esq."  or  "Hon."  in  later  times.  It 
finally  was  prefixed  to  nearly  everybody's  name  and  became  of  no 
special  significance,  as  these  latter  ones  are  in  a  fair  way  to  become, 
if,  indeed,  they  have  not  already. 


1648-63.] 


EZEKIEL   HOLLIMAN. 


41 


draw  up  a  forme  for  recording  of  lands  and  makinge 
each  man  a  deed,  and  appoint  that  ye  Clarke  shall  bee 
paid  for  his  pains  and  so  men  are  to  repaire  to  the 
Clarke  and  he  to  do  it." 

Ezekiel  Holliman*  was  born  at  Tring,  near  Hertford,  Eng- 
land, where  he  married  Susanna,  daughter  of  John  Exton,  or 
Fox,  of  St  an  more,  Middlesex  county.  He  married  for  his  sec- 
ond wife  Mary  (widow  of  Isaac  Sweet)  probably  in  Salem, 
where  both  appear  to  have  been  residents  at  the  time — previous 
to  1638.  He  was  one  of  the  twelve  constituent  members  of  the 
First  Baptist  Church  of  Providence,  and  was  appointed  to 
baptize  Roger  Williams,  which  he  did,  and  was  in  turn  with  the 
other  ten,  baptized  by  Williams.  He  was  a  deputy  for  Warwick, 
and  is  referred  to  as  a  pious,  godly  man.  He  died  Sept.  17th, 
1659,  intestate.  The  Town  Council  made  a  will  for  him  ap- 
pointing his  widow  executrix.  His  daughter  Priscilla,  by  his 
first  wife,  married  John  Warner.  About  a  year  previous  to  the 
death  of  Mr.  Holliman,  he  sent  to  England  for  one  of  his  grand- 
children, John  Warner,  to  come  and  inherit  his  estates.  The 
Town  Council  after  making  provision  for  the  widow  assigned 
the  remainder  of  the  estate  to  his  two  grandchildren  John  and 
Eachel  Warner.  Provision  is  also  made  for  ''  Susan  Warner  or 
other  of  ye  children  in  England."    There  was  a  daughter  Mary 


*  An  Inventory  of   ye  goods  and    chattells    belonging  to  Ezekiel 
Holyman. 

A  bed  and  boulster  and  pillow  and  a  pair  of  sheets  | 
A.  bed  ticke,  a  pah-  of  curtains  and  a  carpett.  j 

Severall  wooden  things  within  doors 

A  great  chest 

A  Spitt 

A  bigger  iron  pott 

A  lesser  iron  pott 

Iron  tools  and  tackling  of  cart  and  plow  

One  bible 

His  wearing  apparrell  ■ . .     

Too  Ackers  of  Corne  together  with  forty  *  *  bushels 

Peagi  paid  by  Mr.  Smith  

2  mares  and  2  coults 

A  horse 

2  Oxen 

6  cowes  milk,  one  at  Nanhegansett 

5  twoyearlings,  whereof  2  hefers,  2  steers 

2  yearling  hefers  and  a  yearling;  bull 

A  sow  &  three  little  pigs  &  1  hoge 

A  mortar  &  pestle  &  1  little  skillet 

The  man  sarvant  lo 


£ 

s. 

d 

04 

5 

0 

1 

0 

0 

8 

0 

0 

5 

0 

0 

7 

0 

0 

7 

0 

2 

11 

0 

0 

6 

0 

5 

10 

0 

07 

0 

0 

4 

0 

0 

52 

0 

0 

11 

0 

0 

15 

0 

0 

30 

0 

0 

19 

0 

0 

7 

0 

0 

o 

0 

0 

0 

7 

6 

0 

9 

0 

183 


42  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1648-63. 

and  perhaps  others.  The  will  of  Mary  Holliman,  widow  of 
Ezekiel,  dated  July  31,  1681,  provides  that  "  In  Consideration 
of  the  Great  Love  and  Affection  I  do  bear  unto  my  Son  in  Law, 
John  Garrardy  and  my  Daughter  Renewed  Garrardy  his  wife 
both  formerly  of  Warwick  but  now  of  Providence"  they  are  to 
have  her  right,  title  and  interest  which  she  then  possessed  in 
the  *■'•  House  lot,  meadows  and  uplands  &c.  in  Warwick."  The 
wife  of  Garrardy  was  probably  the  daughter  of  Mrs.  Holliman 
by  her  first  husband.  In  an  old  record  before  me  relating  to 
the  contentious  that  occurred  in  settling  Holliman's  estate  she 
is  spoken  of  as  "  John  Garrardy 's  wife  whose  name  in  her 
infancy  was  by  information  Meriba  Sweet,  afterwards  called 
Kenewed  Holliman,  then  Renewed  Garrardy." 

The  situation  of  the  settlers  was  extremely  perilous, 
owing  to  the  unsatisfactory  relations  subsisting  between 
them  and  the  Indians.  They  were  kept  in  a  state  of 
constant  apprehension  of  an  outbreak  that  would  result 
in  their  entire  destruction.  They  were  comparatively 
few  in  number,  while  the  natives  were  numerous.  The 
natives  of  Pawtuxet  and  Shawomet  still  acknowledged 
allegiance  to  Massachusetts  and  had  a  two-fold  reason  for 
regarding  the  white  inhabitants  about  them  with  jealousy 
and  distrust.  They  knew  that  Massachusetts  regarded 
them  with  disfavor  and  would  be  inclined  to  overlook 
any  acts  of  violence  they  might  commit,  while  the  in 
creasing  ascendency  of  the  settlers  over  them  and  the  loss 
of  their  lands  wTere  additional  reasons  for  their  unfriendly 
attitude. 

In  view  of  this  state  of  affairs  a  letter  written  by  John 
Smith,  Assistant,  in  behalf  of  the  town,  Sept.  7,  1648, 
wras  sent  to  the  New  England  Commissioners,  then  con- 
vened at  Plymouth,  complaining  that  the  Indians  had 
killed  their  cattle,  entered  their  houses  by  force  and  com- 
mitted other  acts  of  violence,  and  requesting  their  advice 
on  the  subject.  The  commissioners  wrote  to  the  sach- 
ems "advising  them  to  abstain  from  such  conduct." 
The  advice  wras  couched  in  such  terms  that  the  natives 
seemed  to  have  regarded  it  as  a  mere  suggestion  to 
which  but  little  importance  was  to  be  attached.  They 
continued  their  hostilities,  and  next  year  a  similar  letter 
was  sent  to  the  commissioners  with  but  little  better 
results. 


164S-63.]         TROUBLE    WITH   MASSACHUSETTS.  43 

In  May,  1649,  Randall  Holden  having  some  business 
in  Boston  which  required  his  presence  there,  petitioned 
the  court  that  the  sentence  of  banishment  against  him 
might  be  revoked,  in  order  that  he  might  personally  attend 
to  it.  He  was  informed  that  an  attorney  could  attend 
to  the  business  as  well  as  himself.  * 

On  May  22, 1649,  the  General  Court  of  Commissioners 
was  held  in  this  town  and  lasted  four  days.  John 
Smith  was  chosen  President  and  Samuel  Gorton  Assist- 
ant for  Warwick.  letters  were  addressed  to  the  Paw- 
tuxet  men  respecting  their  allegiance  to  the  colony,  and 
the  sachems  of  Pawtuxet  and  Shawomet  were  summoned 
to  attend  upon  the  court.  This  led  the  parties  addressed 
to  complain  to  Massachusetts,  who  in  turn  addressed  let- 
ters to  Rhode  Island  warning  all  whom  it  concerned 
against  prosecuting  any  of  her  subjects.  The  subse- 
quent course  of  Massachusetts  was  the  occasion  of  the 
following  action  of  the  town : 

July  26,  1650.  "  Ordered  by  the  Towue  that  whereas  3  sum- 
monses were  left  at  John  Greene's  house  by  the  hand  of  Rich- 
ard Chasemore,  to  summons  him  to  the  court  of  Massachusetts 
to  be  held  at  Boston  the  last  of  July,  it  is  ordered  by  vote  of 
the  Towue  that  John  Greene  Juuor  above  saide  shall  not  goe 
downe  to  the  Courte  with  respect  to  the  summons." 

"  Ordered  that  Mr.  Gorton,  Mr.  Weekes,  Mr.  Rand.  Houlden, 
Mr.  Warner,  are  chosen  to  draw  up  a  letter  to  be  sent  to  the 
Bay." 

A  committee  was  appointed  to  meet  similar  committees 
of  the  other  towns  at  Portsmouth  in  reference  to  the 
summons,  and  in  case  they  failed  to  send  an  answer  to 
Massachusetts,  the  Warwick  letter,  signed  by  Mr.  Wickes 
in  behalf  of  the  town,  was  to  be  forwarded. 

Matters  were  assuming  such  importance  that  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  deemed  it  necessary  to  appeal  again  to  the 
Foreign  Committee  of  Plantations,  and  Roger  Williams 
was  urged  to  go  once  more  to  England  in  behalf  of  the 
colony.  Massachusetts  was  duly  notified  of  this  in- 
tention by  John  Greene  in  behalf  of  this  town,  in  a  letter 
setting  forth  the  reasons  that  had  led  the  colonists  to  this 

*  Mass.  Col.  Rec.  ii.  275. 


44  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1648-63. 

conclusion.  The  letter  stated  that  they  "were  bought 
and  sold  from  one  patent  and  jurisdiction  to  another;" 
that  they  had  been  threatened  with  expulsion  from 
their  lands  and  exposed  to  violence  since  the  order  of 
Parliament  was  made  for  their  protection,  and  they  should 
seek  redress  from  the  home  government,  and  the  United 
Colonies  might  instruct  their  agents  to  act  accordingly. 

"  Feb.  3,  1651.  Agreement  between  the  Towneof  Warwicke 
with  Mr.  John  Wickes,  Mr.  Randall  Houlden,  Mr.  Walter 
Todd,  John  Greene,  Jr.,  as  undertakers  to  build  a  mill  in  the 
aforesaide  Towne,  at  their  own  cost  and  charges,  and  to  grind 
the  Towne  corne  for  two  quarts  in  a  bushelle,  in  consideration 
of  which  the  town  doth  give  and  grant  to  the  said  undertakers 
for  their  encouragement  that  lott,  that  was  formerly  Mr.  Gor- 
ton's" &c. 

"  Ordered  that  the  undertakers  of  the  mill  have  liberty  to 
damme  up  the  fresh  river  for  their  use  anywhere  above  the  lott, 
Mr.  Holliman  purchased  of  Peter  Burzicot." 

"  The  town  ordereth  that  in  case  Richard  Harcutt's  meadow 
bee  spoiled  by  the  damminge  the  water  at  the  mill,  he  shall 
have  2  akers  for  one  in  the  most  convenient  place  not  granted, 
for  all  said  damnifyinge." 

The  year  1651  is  memorable  in  the  history  of  the 
Rhode  Island  colony  by  the  withdrawal  of  the  towns  of 
Newport  and  Portsmouth  and  their  establishment  of  an 
independent  government  under  a  commission  obtained 
by  William  Coddington,  leaving  Providence  and  War- 
wick to  act  alone.  A  considerable  number  *  however, 
from  the  "defective  towns"  were  dissatisfied,  and  sent 
Dr.  Clarke  as  commissioner  to  England  to  obtain  a  re- 
peal of  Coddington's  commission.  Williams,  as  agent  of 
Providence  and  Warwick,  sailed  with  him  from  Boston 
in  November,  their  object  now  being  to  obtain  a  new 
charter  that  would  reunite  the  dismembered  colony.  In 
the  meantime  the  two  towns  remaining  held  their  Gene- 
ral Assembly  as  usual.  Samuel  Gorton  was  chosen  Pres- 
ident of  the  colony  this  year,  and  John  Greene  for 
clerk  of  the  Assembly.  To  increase  the  anxiety  of  the 
settlers,  Plymouth  and  Massachusetts  renewed  their  dis- 
pute about  Warwick,  and  in  September  "  Plymouth  was 


*  Staples  annals  of  Providence,  p.  82. 


1648-63.]  CASE   OF   JOHN   WARNER.  45 


advised  to  take  possession  of  that  plantation  by  force, 
unless  the  inhabitants  would  willingly  submit  themselves 
to  their  jurisdiction." 

Over  such  turbulent  waves  did  the  little  ship  of  State 
sail  during  the  year  1651,  tossed  by  billows  on  every  side, 
but  still  bearing  a  crew  of  valiant  men  whose  courage 
and  wisdom  were  equal  to  the  emergency. 

In  April,  1652,  a  somewhat  curious  affair  occurred 
in  the  town  that  eventually  led  to  the  disfranchise- 
ment of  one  of  the  original  purchasers.  It  appears 
that  a  Dutch  vessel  had  arrived  at  Shawomet,  on  a 
trading  excursion,  the  crew  of  which  boarded  for  seve- 
ral months  with  John  Warner,  who  was  this  year  one 
of  the  magistrates  of  the  town.  A  dispute  arose  in 
settling  their  accounts,  and  the  Dutchmen  finally  ap- 
pealed to  the  court  for  assistance.  A  special  session  of 
the  court  was  held,  and  Warner  refusing  to  appear  in 
his  defence,  judgment  was  entered  against  him  by  .de- 
fault. Warner's  wife  was  also  implicated,  and  the  case 
was  carried  before  the  General  Court  of  trials  for  the 
colony.  The  result  of  the  matter,  with  the  specific 
charges,  is  given  in  the  following  extracts  from  the 
town  records.     The  orthography  is  modernized. 

"  The  24th  of  April,  1652,  at  a  town  meeting  of  law-making 
assembly,  ordered,  that  John  Warner  for  his  misdemeanors 
under-annexed,  is  degraded  by  the  unanimous  consent  of  the 
town  from  bearing  any  office  iu  the  town,  and  that  he  is  wholly 
disenabled  forever  hereafter  bearing  any  office  in  the  town, 
until  he  give  the  towrn  satisfaction. 

"  It  is  further  ordered  that  the  above  said  John  Warner  is 
put  out  from  having  any  vote  in  the  town  concerning  its  affairs. 

"  The  charges  against  John  Warner  are  these  : 

First.  Forcalling  the  officers  of  the  town  rogues  and  thieves 
with  respect  to  their  office. 

Item.    For  calling  the  whole  town  rogues  and  thieves. 

Item.    For  threatening  the  lives  of  men. 

Item.    For  threatening  to  kill  all  the  mares  of  the  town. 

Item.  For  his  contempt  in  not  appearing  before  the  town 
now  met,  being  lawfully  summoned  by  a  summons  from  the 
officer,  with  two  magistrates'  hands  to  it. 

Item.  For  threatening  an  officer  of  the  colony  in  open  court, 
that  if  he  had  him  elsewhere  he  would  beat  out  his  brains,  as 
also  calling  him  rogue. 


46  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK.  [1648-63. 


Item.  For  his  employing  an  agent  in  his  behalf  to  write  to 
the  Massachusetts;  thereby  a^ing  about  to  enthral  the  liberties 
of  the  town,  to  the  great  indignity  of  the  honored  State  of 
England,  who  granted  the  said  privileges  unto  us." 

On  the  22d  of  June  it  was  ordered,  "That  the  house  and 
land  of  John  Warner  situate  and  being  in  the  sayd  towne  be 
attached  forthwith  upon  suspicion  of  unsufferable  treacherie 
against  the  town,  to  the  forfeiture  of  the  sayd  house  and  land, 
and  that  notice  may  be  given  him  of  the  attachment  thereof 
that  so  hee  by  himself  or  aturney  may  answer  at  the  nest  Court 
of  Trials  to  be  held  in  Warwicke  the  third  Tuesday  in  August 
next  ensuing  the  date  hereof.  It  is  also  ordered  that  all  persons 
are  hereby  prohibited  from  laying  any  claim  or  title  unto  it,  or 
any  part  thereof  by  bargain  and  sale  or  otherwise  until  hee 
hath  answered  the  law  and  be  cleared  by  order  of  the  court 
held  as  aforesayd,  but  remains  in  the  hand  and  custody  of  the 
town  in  the  mean  time. 

"  Ordered.  That  the  sergeant  shall  have  a  copie  of  this 
order  and  set  it  up  upon  the  door  of  the  house. 

"  Ordered,  that  if  hereafter  John  Warner  or  any  for  him  shall 
sell  that  house  and  land  above  sayd,  any  part  or  parcel  of  it,  to 
any  but  such  as  shall  subscribe  to  our  order,  it  shall  as  before 
be  wholly  forfeit  to  the  town.'' 

The  property  was  released  on  the  5th  of  July  by  the  following 
order  :  "  Ordered  by  the  town  of  Warwick  that  the  house  and 
land  of  John  Warner  situated  in  the  said  towne  of  Warwick, 
being  of  late  atached  upon  suspicion  of  the  breach  of  the  grand 
law*  of  the  town,  be  resigned  to  the  said  John  Warner  again." 

The  proceedings  excited  considerable  interest  through- 
oat  the  colony.  Randall  Holden,  Samuel  Gorton  and 
three  others  protested  against  the  release  of  the  prop- 
erty, but  without  effect.  It  was  one  of  those  affairs 
that  would  have  been  considered  of  little  consequeuce, 
and  passed  over  and  been  forgotten  soon  in  a  larger 
community,  but  in  the  weakness  of  the  infant  settle- 
ment was  of  considerable  importance.  It  resulted  in 
Warner's  conveying  his  property  to  trustees  for  the  use 
and  support  of  his  infant  daughter  on  the  17th  of  the 
same  month,  with  the  intention  of  going  to  England. 
The  deed  of  conveyance  is  recorded  in  the  Clerk's  office. 

John  Warner  came  from  England,  but  at  what  date  is  un- 

*  The  "grand  law"  was  a  compact  made  by  the  town  in  1647,  and 
confirmed  the  following  year,  by  which  the  inhabitants  bound  them- 
selves not  to  convey  their  lands  to  any  other  jurisdiction,  on  pain  of 
disfranchisement  and  of  forfeiture  of  the  whole  estate  to  the  town. 


1648-63.]  THE    WARNER   FAMILY.  47 

known.  He"  was  an  inhabitant  of  Providence  in  1637,  and  had 
one  of  the  "Home  lots,"  near  Avhere  the  "  What  Cheer"  build- 
ing now  stands.  He  was  the  first  Town  Clerk  after  the  organ- 
ization of  the  town,  and  also  a  member  of  the  first  Town  Coun- 
cil; also  a  Deputy  and  Assistant;  and  in  1648  Clerk  of  the  Gen- 
eral Court.  He  married  Priscilla,  daughter  of  Ezekiel  Holli- 
man.  He  left  a  son  John,  who  married  Anna,  daughter  of* 
Samuel  Gorton,  also  three  daughters,  Susan,  Mary  and  Rachel. 
He  died  during  a  voyage  from  England,  in  1653  or  '54.  The 
three  older  children  went  to  England  with  him.  The  son  John 
was  finally  sent  for  by  his  grandfather  Ezekiel  Holliman  to  in- 
herit his  property.  The  prenomen  John  was  continued  for  not 
less  than  four  generations.  Jobn  Warner  2d  had  four  children, 
viz.  John,  Ezekiel,  Anna  and  Priscilla.  Tohn  Warner  3d 
had  ten  children,  viz.  :  John,  Elizabeth,  Anne,  Susannah,  Ra- 
chel, William,  Samuel,  Mary,  Priscilla  and  William,  the  JaiLt 
three  by  a  seer  nd  wife.  John  Warner  4th,  had  the  gen2rous 
number  of  fourteen  children,  and  lived  on  the  north  side  of  the 
road  at  the  turn  near  Warners'  brook.  The  old  Warner  burial 
ground  is  on  the  east  side  of  the  road  leading  to  Conimicut. 

The  General  Assembly  met  in  this  town  December 
20th,  1652.  at  the  house  of  Robert  Potter,  having  been 
called  by  the  President  of  the  colony,  John  Smith,  of 
Warwick.  The  President  being  absent,  the  Assembly 
sent  him  the  following  communication  signed  by  John 
Greene,  Recorder: 

"Honored  Sik  : — The  commissioners  of  Providence  and 
Warwick  being  assembled  together  at  Robert  Potter's  house, 
according  to  your  order,  doe  earnestly  entreat  that  you  will 
be  pleased  to  afford  us  your  presence  to  informe  us  of  those 
weighty  considerations  invested  in  your  warrant,  wee  being  as- 
sembled together  as  aforesayed  to  advise  and  order  for  the 
peace  of  this  Colony." 

From  the  action  subsequently  taken  by  the  Assembly 

it  appears  that  the  President   and  Mr.  Gorton,  who  was 

General  Assistant  for  Warwick,   had   examined    Hugh 

Bewitt,  one  of  the  commissioners  from    Providence,  and 

found  him  guilty  of  treason,  and  presented  him  for  trial. 

After  providing  for  the  safe  custody  of  the  prisoner,  the 

Assembly  adjourned,  to  meet  the  next   morning   at   the 

house    of    Mr.    Warner.     The    trial    continued    several 

days  and  the  prisoner  was  acquitted. 

Robert  Potter  was  admitted  a  freeman  in  Massachusetts,  Sep- 
tember 3,  1631.     He  removed  to  Rhode  Island  in  1639.     He 


48  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK.  [1648-63. 

afterwards  removed  to  Warwick,  and  was  one  of  the  original 
twelve  purchasers.*  When  the  Massachusetts  soldiers  came  to 
arrest  the  settlers  soon  after  their  occupancy  of  the  land,  Mrs. 
Potter,  with  some  of  the  other  women,  sought  refuge  in  the 
woods,  and  soon  afterwards  died  from  exposure  and  fright. 
Potter  was  licensed  in  February,  1649,  to  keep  an  ordinary,  or 
tavern,  in  Warwick.  He  died  in  the  latter  part  of  1661,  leaving 
a  son  John,  and  a  daughter  Deliverance,  who  married  James, 
son  of  John  Greene.  John  died  in  1694,  intestate,  and  his 
estate  falling  to  John,  Jr.,  he  shared  it  with  his  brother  Wil- 
liam, as  per  deed  of  April  10,  1694. 

The  mission  of  Williams  and  Clarke  was  successful. 
In  the  following  February,  a  messenger  arrived  from 
England  with  the  repeal  of  Coddington's  commission 
and  an  order  for  the  reunion  of  the  towns  under  the 
charter.  The  division  continued,  however,  another  year. 
In  May  two  distinct  assemblies  convened  for  a  general 
election  at  the  same  time,  one  at  Providence  and  the 
other  at  Newport.  Finally,  after  a  separation  of  three 
years,  a  reunion  was  effected,  and  a  full  court  of  com- 
missioners from  the  four  towns  was  assembled  in  this 
town  "ye  last  of  August,  A.  D.  1654."  It  was  then 
ordered  "that  a  Court  of  Election  be  held  uppon  Tues- 
day, ye  12th  of  ye  next  month,  and  to  be  kept  at  War- 
wicke  ;  which  officers  then  chosen  shall  be  engaged  and 
stand  till  }e  Court  of  Election  in  May  next. 

The  important  positions  held  by  persons  from  this 
town  in  the  government  of  the  colony  during  these 
years  of  unhappy  discussions  indicate  the  estimation 
in  which  they  were  held  by  the  people.  That  the  col- 
ony was  not  entirely  broken  up  by  its  enemies  within 
and  without,  may  be  ascribed  to  the  wisdom  and  prudence 
of  a  few  men  of  the  two  loyal  towns,  who  firmlyheld  the 
reins  of  government  during  this  period  of  its  weakness. 

INDIAN   DEED   OF   POTOWOMUT. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  Indian  deed  of  that  por- 
tion of  the  town  called  Potowomut,  recorded  in  the 
"  booke  of  land  evidences"  in  the  Town  Clerk's  office: 


*  On  page  11,  deed  of  Miantouomi,  by  some  oversight,  the  names  of 
Robert  Potter  and  Nicholas  Power  were  omitted.  They  should  have 
been  inserted  after  the  name  of  Sampson  Shotten. 


1648-63.]  DEED   OF   POTOWOMUT.  49 

"  Know  all  men  by  these  presents  that  I  Taccomanan, 
right  owner  of  all  ye  meadows  and  mowable  land  upon  a  neck 
of  ground  commonly  called  by  ye  English,  by  ye  name  of  Po- 
tawomett,  situated  and  being  upon  ye  great  river  called  by  ye 
naime  of  Narrheygansett  Bay,  lying  over  against  ye  South  end 
of  that  necke  of  land  called  Shawomet,  which  bay  is  ye  east 
bounder,  and  that  river  commonly  called  by  ye  English  Potawo- 
mut  river;  being  in  ye  southward  bounder  and  Coessett  bay, 
being  ye  norward  bounder  for  ye  space  or  length  of  fower 
miles,"  according  to  ye  English  accompt,  by  ye  said  Narrhy- 
gansett  bay,  which  parsed  of  land  as  above  saide  with  all  ye 
right  and  privilidges  thereto  appertaining  by  land,  water,  wood 
or  otherwise,  I  doe  hereby,  and  by  these  presents  ffreely  ac- 
knowledge to  have  leagally  and  trewly  sould,  made  over,  and 
by  these  presents  doe  forever  quit  claime  unto  Randall  Houl- 
den  and  Ezekiel  Hollyman,  both  of  Warwick,  for  themselves 
and  ye  rest  of  ye  inhabitants  of  ye  abovesaide  towne  of  War- 
wicke,  to  them  and  to  their  heires,  and  to  have  and  to  hould 
forever,  for  ye  just  some  of  fifteen  pounds  dewly  paid  and  re- 
ceived already,  in  wampumpeage;  only  I  am  to  receive  ye  value 
of  one  coate  of  such  cloth  as  ye  Indians  doe  now  commonly  use  to 
weare,  annually  as  a  gratuity  hereafter;  and  I  doe  hereby  binde 
and  engagdge  myself  e,  that  neither  I  nor  any  in  my  naime,  nor 
in  my  behalf e  shall  forever  hereafter  disturbe  or  molest  them  or 
any  of  them  in  ye  quiett  and  peaceable  possession  and  enjoy- 
ment of  this,  their  proper  right  and  inheritance;  Moreover  I 
doe  by  these  presents  further  binde  and  engage  myselfe  and 
allso  my  heires  and  suckcessors,  and  that  in  consideration  of 
ye  abovesaide  some  of  money  in  payment  received,  never 
hereafter  to  sell, mortgage,  let.  or  make  over  any  moor,  meadow 
or  mowable  land  within  my  right,  tytle  or  claims  unto  any, 
what  or  whomsoever,  but  only  to  ye  parties  abovenamed,  their 
heires  and  assignes.  In  virtue  whereof  I  have  heare  unto 
sett  my  hand  and  seale  according  to  ye  custom  of  ye  English. 
Dated  ye  thirteenth  day  of  July  Anno  1654. 

Taccomanan  his  marke 

Awashotttst  eldest  soun 
to  him  aboue,  his  marke 

Wawanockashaw,  another  soun, 
(  his  marke 

Sealed  and  delivered   in  ye  presence  of   Jeremy    Westcott, 
William  Baker,  Samuel  Ensall." 

In  the  town  records,  under  date  of  Feb.  8,  1657,  Tac- 

5 


50  HISTORY   OF  WARWICK.  [1648-63. 

comanan  is  mentioned  as  the  Sachem  of  Potowomut. 
The  land  was  bought  for  the  town.* 

In  1655,  the  number  of  persons  enrolled  as  freemen 
in  this  town  was  thirty-eight.  Providence  had  forty- 
two,  Portsmouth,  seventy-one,  and  Newport,  ninety- 
six.  Their  names  are  given  in  the  first  volume  of  the 
R.  I.  Col.  Records.  These  do  not  include,  however,  the 
full  number  of  residents,  but  simply  those  who  had  been 
formally  "received"  as  inhabitants. 

The  Indians  becoming  exceedingly  troublesome,  the 
General  Assembly  issued  a  warrant  to  bring  Pomham 
before  the  court  to  answer  the  complaints  of  the  town, 
and  a  committee  was  subsequently  appointed  to  treat 
with  him.  An  order  was  also  issued  "  that  Warwick  shall 
build  a  sufficient  prison  at  ye  charge  of  fortie  pounds, 
whereof  Providence  is  to  pay  six  pounds ;  in  lieu 
whereof  Providence  shall  have  use  of  ye  saide  prison  to 
putt  their  prisoners  in  ;  and  also  it  is  ordered  and  con- 
cluded by  engagement  as  aforesaid e,  that  Providence 
shall  build  a  sufficient  cage  or  stocks  at  ye  charge  of 
fourteen  pounds,  which  prison,  cage,  or  stocks,  Warwick 
alsoe  shall  have  ye  use  of  if  occasion  be." 

In  November  additional  efforts  were  made  to  come  to 
an  understanding  with  the  natives,  and  Roger  Williams, 
as  President  of  the  colony,  wrote  to  the  Massachusetts 
General  Court  in  regard  to  the  matter,  calling  the  atten- 
tion of  the  court  also  to  the  suit  against  them  by  the 
town  for  £2,000  damages.  Having  received  no  reply, 
Williams  in  the  spring  wrote  to  Gov.  Endicott,  who  in- 
vited him  to  come  to  Boston. 

The  following  entry  in  the  Warwick  records  of  May 
15,  of  this  year  (1656),  refers  to  the  provision  made  by 
the  town  to  meet  the  expenses  of  the  President  for  this 
journey  in  its  behalf. 

*  Some  difficulty  arose  subsequently  in  reference  to  this  tract  of  land. 
It  appears  that  another  deed  was  given  to  Capt.  Randall  H olden, 
June  2t>,  16(i0,  by  Namowish,  which  "was  surrendered  up  by  said 
Capt  Houlden  unto  Mr.  Benedict  Arnold,  Assistant  for  the  use  of  the 
Colony  "  There  was  also  some  contention  iu  regard  to  the  laud  be- 
tween the  town  and  the  "inhabitants  of  Kings  Towne."  See  R.  I.  Col. 
Rec.  III.,  95,  104, 109. 


1648-63.]        ROGER   WILLIAMS'   NEGOTIATIONS.  51 


"Ordered  that  forty  shillings  he  sent  out  of  the  treasury 
unto  Mr.  Roger  Williams,  and  a  pair  of  Indian  Breeches  for 
his  Indian  at  seven  shillings  sixpence  at 6 pr penny,  as  also  a 
horse  for  his  journey  unto  Boston  and  back  again." 

Before  departing  upon  his  errand  to  Boston  Williams 
addressed  a  second  letter  to  the  General  Court  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, in  which  he  refers  at  length  to  the  lawless- 
ness of  the  natives,  as  also  to  the  trouble  occasioned  by 
the  few  English  settlers  at  Pawtuxet,  who  still  main- 
tained their  former  attitude  against  the  settlers  at  Shaw- 
omet.  In  his  letter  he  says,  "  I  am  humbly  confident 
that  all  the  English  plantations  in  all  New  England  put 
together  suffer  not  such  molestation  from  the  natives  as 
this  one  town  and  people.  The  settlers  are  so  danger- 
ously and  so  vexatiously  intermingled  with  the  barbari- 
ans that  I  have  long  admired  the  wonderful  power  of 
God  in  restraining  and  preventing  very  great  fires  of 
mutual  slaughters  breaking  forth  between  them.  The 
remedy  is  (under  God)  only  your  pleasure  that  Pum- 
ham  shall  come  to  an  agreement  with  the  town  or  col- 
ony, and  that  some  convenient  way  and  time  be  set  for 
their  removal." 

Gratifying  progress  was  made  by  the  visit  of  Williams 
to  Boston  in  reference  to  the  Indian  affairs,  and  it  was 
agreed  that  the  Pawtuxet  controversy  should  be  closed 
by  arbitration.  This,  however,  was  not  effected  fully 
till  two  years  after,  when  the  Pawtuxet  men  withdrew 
their  allegiance  from  Massachusetts  and  submitted  to 
Rhode  Island. 

Roger  Williams  was  born  in  Wales  in  1599,  and  died  in  Provi- 
dence, April,  1683.  "  He  was  buried  with  all  the  solemnity 
the  Colony  were  able  to  show."  Callender  in  his  Century  Ser- 
mon says  "he  appears  to  have  been  one  of  the  most  disinter- 
ested men  that  ever  lived,  and  a  most  pious  and  heavenly 
miuded  soul." 

"All  his  study  bent 

To  worship  God  arighr.,  and  know  His  works, 

Not  hid,  nor  those  things  last  which  might  preserve 

Freedom  and  peace  to  man." — Milton* 

As  we  write  this  page  the  subject  of  repealing  the  act 


See  Knowles'  Life  of  Williams,  published  in  1834. 


52  HISTOKY   OF   WARWICK.  [1648-63. 

of  banishment  of  Roger  Williams  is  before  the  Massa- 
chusett  Legislature. 

The  meetings  of  the  General  Assembly  when  it  met 
in  this  town,  as  well  as  the  town  meetings,  were  held  at 
private  houses.  On  Feb.  22,  1652,  it  was  "ordered  to 
adjourne  the  meetinge  and  forthwith  to  repair  to  the 
house  of  John  Warner,  where  Thomas  Avington  dwells, 
and  there  being  mett  orderly  it  was  ordered  by  the 
Towne,  that  henceforth  their  place  of  meeting  be  at  the 
house  of  John  Warner  aforesaid,  Thomas  Avington  con- 
senting thereto  and  the  said  Thomas  Avington  is  to  have 
twelve  shillings  for  the  use  of  the  house ;  and  this  to  bee 
until  the  Towne  see  cause  to  alter  it." 

The  constant  danger  to  which  the  inhabitants  were 
exposed  from  the  Indians,  and  the  generally  unsettled 
state  of  affairs  in  the  colony  made  it  necessary  to  appoint 
a  guard  to  be  on  the  constant  lookout  for  trouble.  In 
April  5,  1653,  the  two  following  orders  were  placed 
upon  record :  "Ordered,  that  two  men  shall  watch 
every  day  until  they  shall  see  cause  to  alter  it."  "Or- 
dered that  the  watch  shall  consist  of  eight  men  any 
order  formerly  notwithstanding." 

In  a  bundle  of  miscellaneous  papers  stowed  away  in 
the  Town  Clerk's  office,  I  find  a  somewhat  important 
paper,  dated  March  22d,  1652,  and  signed  by  Samuel 
Gorton,  Randall  Holden  and  ten  others,  in  which  a 
proposition  is  made  to  sell  out  their  lands  and  remove 
from  the  region.  The  paper  is  much  defaced,  and  a 
portion,  including  parts  of  nearh~  all  the  lines  are  de- 
stroyed, including  a  part  of  the  signatures.  The  paper 
speaks  of  the  dangers  to  which  they  were  exposed  from 
the  Indians,  and  the  divisions  among  their  own  number, 
occasioned  chiefly  from  the  failure  of  those  parties  who 
had  it  in  their  power  to  render  them  the  necessary  as 
sistance.  The  tone  of  the  papei  is  one  of  discouragement, 
resulting  from  their  peculiarly  trying  position. 

What  legal  rights  the  Indians  still  retained  in  the 
lands  or  any  portion  of  them,  deeded  in  the  original  pur- 
chase, does  not  appear  from  the  records,  so  far  as  I  have 


1648-63.]  RIGHTS   OF  CONSCIENCE.  53 


been  able  to  ascertain.  But  it  seems  that  they  were 
permitted  to  remain  upon  the  unoccupied  portions,  and 
were  allowed  certain  other  not  very  clearly  denned  priv- 
ileges. Under  date  of  May  2,  1653,  it  was  "ordered  that 
these  men  namely  Randall  Houlden,  Richard  Townsend, 
Stuckely  Wascote,  James  Sweete,  Christopher  Haux- 
hurst  and  John  Cole  are  appointed  to  agree  with  the 
Indians  about  Nawsaucot  and  their  way  about  fencinge 
in  their  fields."  An  appropriation  of  £12  10s  was 
subsequently  made  on  report  of  the  committee  to  pay  the 
Indians  for  fencing  their  lands. 

The  rights  ol  conscience  were  sacredly  regarded 
throughout  the  colony,  and  may  sometimes  have  been  the 
pretext  for  refusing  to  perform  disagreeable  duties.  The 
plea,  however,  was  unusually  effective,  as  in  the  case 
mentioned  in  the  town  records  under  date  of  July  5,  1655, 
where  "Goodman  Erington  refusing  to  serve  as  constable 
by  reason  of  a  scruple  of  his  mind,"  he  was  excused 
from  the  service  and  another  appointed  in  his  stead. 

A  somewhat  amusing  case  of  conscience  is  related  in 
Staples'  Annals  of  Providence,  p.  24.  It  appears  that 
Joshua  "\£ erin  refused  to  allow  Ids  wife  to  go  to  Mr. 
Williams'  meeting  as  often  as  she  wished.  The  woman 
thought  it  her  duty  to  go,  and  her  husband  seemed  to 
think  it  was  his  duty  to  restrain  her.  In  this  cross-fire 
the  church  censured  Verin,  and  "some  were  of  opinion 
that  if  Verin  would  not  suffer  his  wife  to  have  her 
liberty  the  church  should  dispose  of  her  to  some  other 
man  who  would  use  her  better."  Arnold  told  them 
that  Verin  acted  conscientiously,  and  their  order  was 
"  that  no  man  should  be  censured  for  his  conscience." 
Verin  soon  after  left  Providence  and  went  to  Salem. 
Gov.  Winthrop  seems  to  have  regarded  this  action  on 
the  part  of  Williams  as  a  violation  of  the  principle 
which  he  so  strenuously  advocated,  but  the  facts  will 
hardly  justify  the  opinion. 

On  July  8d  of  this  year,  it  was  ordered  that  "  by 
reason  of  the  great  inconvenience  that  hath  been  by 
means  of  allowance  no  Towne  meetings  without  twelve 

*5 


54  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK.  [1648-63. 

men  lawfully  met,  that  henceforth  eight  Townsmen  be- 
inge  lawfully  met,  by  lawful  warninge  have  full  authority 
to  act  as  if  the  whole  towne  were  present."  A  convenient 
provision  was  made  the  following  year  with  regard  to  the 
number  of  men  that  should  constitute  a  legal  jury. 
Instead  of  the  usual  number  of  twelve,  six  jurors 
were  to  compose  the  body,  and  they  were  to  be  paid, 
each  one  shilling  sixpence  for  each  case  tried  before  them. 

By  far  the  larger  number  of  acts  passed  by  the  town 
up  to  this  time  related  to  the  disposition  of  the  lands. 
The  grants  were  generally  of  six  acres  as  house  lots,  to 
which  were  added  other  portions  at  different  times.  The 
consideration,  if  any,  was  not  usually  mentioned  at  the 
time  the  grant  was  made.  Besides  these  the  unoccupied 
lands  were  apportioned  among  the  settlers  for  a  limited 
time.  The  following,  under  date  of  May  17,  1656,  illus- 
trates the  point :  "At  a  meetinge  of  the  Townsmen  of 
Warwicke  it  is  ordered  that  the  medows  at  Potowomet 
and  Pawtuxet  that  are  now  lotted  out  to  the  inhabitants 
shall  remain  to  each  man,  appropriated  but  for  this  yeare 
and  be  allotted  the  next  year  if  the  Towne  see  cause." 
In  the  following,  passed  the  same  year,  a  consideration 
is  mentioned  :  "  It  is  ordered  that  John  Sweete  shall 
have  two  ackers  of  medow  for  himself  and  Henry 
Townsend,  in  any  place  where  he  can  find  it,  that  is  yet 
undivided,  for  some  pains  he  has  taken  in  surveying  the 
medow  at  Pawtuxet  river  within  the  bounds  of  this 
towne."  Also  the  following  without  a  consideration  in 
the  same  year:  "  Ordered  that  Mr.  John  Greene  shall 
have  the  medow  at  the  notheast  side  of  the  pond  called 
by  the  Indians  Cacouncke,  lying  by  a  brooke  that  runs 
out  of  the  aforesaid  pond.'' 

The  proprietors  of  the  grist  mill,  to  whom  a  land 
grant  had  been  made  in  consideration  of  their  agreement 
to  grind  the  town  corn  at  the  rate  of  two  quarts  per 
bushel,  were  suspected  of  having  too  large  a  measure, 
and  to  meet  this  suspicion  the  following  was  passed  : 
"  It  being  complained  of  that  the  Toll  Dish  is  too  bigg  : 
ordered  that  Mr.  Holliman  doe  gett  a  pair  of  skaills  for 
the  mill  by  the  sixst  of  May  following." 


1648-63.]  BOUNTIES   ON   WILD   ANIMALS.  55 


The  following  bears  the  date  of  Feb.  8,  1557 :  "  It 
is  ordered  that  a  parcell  of  land,  adjoining  to  Massapoge 
pond  westward,  be  for  a  horse  pasture  for  the  Towne's 
use  accordinge  as  may  be  the  most  conveniently  made 
use  of,  for  to  save  fencinge,  that  the  horses  may  be 
there  kept  during  the  time  they  are  apt  to  damnify  the 


corne." 


To  meet  one  of  the  less  serious  troubles  to  which  the 
settlers  were  subject,  it  was  ordered,  Oct.  10,  1658, 
"  that  if  any  one  kill  the  great  gray  woolfe  that  hath 
done  so  much  mischieie  in  the  Towne  hee  shall  have 
five  pounds  for  his  pains  and  for  any  other  woolfe  fower 
pounds."  As  John  Sweete  subsequently  received  five 
pounds  for  killing  a  wolf,  it  is  probable  that  the  old 
"gray"  came  to  grief  by  his  hands.  An  Indian  re- 
ceived a  reward  of  forty  shillings  the  same  day  for  a 
similar  service.  * 

Feb.  4,  1659.  "Ordered  that  Mr.  John  Greene  shall 
have  as  much  land  at  his  medow  Cacowanch,  known  by 
the  name  of  Coeset  pond  for  to  fence  his  medow  in,  he 
leaving  out  so  much  of  his  land  at  Occupasnetuxet." 

The  foregoing  indicate  the  nature  ot  the  town  laws 
passed  during  the  years  1652-60,  and  incidentally  throw 
light  upon  the  condition  of  society  during  this  period. 
If  they  are  not  expressed  with   that  precision  and  ele- 


*  Wolves  were  so  troublesome  that  Roger  Williams  was  commis- 
sioned to  arrange  with  Miantonomi  for  a  grand  hunt  to  exterminate 
them. — Arnold  1,  154. 

Portsmouth  petitioned  Newport,  January  1658,  to  assist  her  in  driv- 
ing the  wolves  from  the  island;  and  the  records  of  that  town  of  Nov. 
10,  1663,  mention  that  "the  island  was  to  be  driven  the  next  fair 
day  on  account  of  the  destruction  of  sheep  bv  wolves  and  other  ver- 
min." Every  householder  was  required  to  kill  twelve  black  birds  and 
to  bring  in  their  heads  or  pay  a  fine  of  two  shillings;  and  for  all  above 
twelve  that  were  killed,  he  should  receive  one  shilling  each. — Ports- 
mouth Eec,  April  1(5,  1697. 

In  1716,  the  bounty  (in  Providence)  on  wolves  was  twenty  shillings, 
and  on  grey  squirrels,  two  pence.  In  17i'4,  there  was  a  bounty  of 
three  pence  on  rats,  and  in  1729,  one  of  ten  shillings  on  wild  cats. — 
Staple's  Annals,  190. 

In  February,  1733-4,  a  bounty  of  one  pound  was  offered  for  bears 
and  the  same' for  wild  cats;  in  1736,  the  bounty  on  bears  was  raised 
to  three  pounds;  in  1764,  a  bounty  of  four  pounds  was  offered  for 
wolves. 


56  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1648-63. 

gance  of  language  that  characterizes   our   modern   stat- 
utes, they  have  at  least  the  merit  of  conciseness  and  were 
sufficiently  accurate  in  form  to  meet  the  emergencies  of 
"the  times. 

Previous  to  the  organization  of  the  town  under  its 
charter,  an  order  had  been  passed  regulating  the  dis- 
position of  the  lands  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  town. 
An  individual  before  becoming  an  "inhabitant,"  was  re- 
quired to  be  propounded  and  received  by  a  formal  vote. 
He  was  also  required  to  pay  the  sum  of  £10  or  its  equi- 
valent. This  entitled  him  to  all  the  rights  and  privileges 
enjoyed  by  the  original  purchasers  of  the  territory  pur- 
chased of  the  natives.  Certain  portions  of  territory  in 
the  more  compact  part  of  the  settlement  were  assigned 
him  as  a  house  lot,  which  it  appears  he  was  allowed  to 
select  from  that  which  was  yet  unappropriated,  with  cer- 
tain not  very  clearly  defined  rights  in  the  more  distant 
wild  la:  ds.  As  the  inhabitants  increased  in  number 
other  regulations  were  found  to  be  necessary.  The 
meagre,  indefinite  records  both  of  the  town  and  colony  in 
reference  to  the  disposition  of  the  lands,  the  boundaries  of 
the  several  grants  and  the  consideration  in  view  of  which 
they  were  made,  render  it  difficult  to  determine  always 
their  exact  character.  The  purchases  from  the  Indians 
seem  to  have  been  especially  indefinite  and  caused  the 
colonists  much  trouble,  making  it  necessary  for  the  latter 
at  times  to  purchase  their  lands  over  again  from  some 
subsequent  claimant.  Land  at  the  time  was  plenty  and 
cheap.  The  Indian  title  was  not  always  clear,  and 
hence  arose  innumerable  misunderstandings  in  reference 
to  them.  It  is  not  certain  but  that  the  settlers  sometimes 
took  advantage  of  the  simplicity  of  the  natives  in  these 
matters. 

The  several  laws  enacted  during  this  period  in  refer- 
ence to  the  disposition  of  the  Warwick  lands  by  the  town, 
as  well  as  some  passed  by  the  General  Assembly  in  favor 
of  its  settlers,  as  well  as  others  of  a  different  character, 
may  here  be  stated  with  but  few  comments,  reserving 
for  a  more  favorable  opportunity  such  explanations  as 
may  seem  necessary. 


1648-63.]  VARIOUS   TOWN   LAWS.  57 


"  April  4,  1660.  Ordered  that  henceforth  any  inhabitants 
that  shall  hereafter  bee  received  shall  not  have  any  land,  ac- 
cordinge  to  any  former  order,  but  so  much  onely  as  the  Towne 
shall  by  particular  order  grant  them,  and  where  the  Towne 
shall  see  fitt,  any  order  formerly  notwithstandinge." 

"  April  30,  1660.  Ordered  that  the  Clarke  doe  write  any 
freeman's  voate  of  the  Town  that  cannot  write  himselfe,  and 
that  he  shall  call  upon  persons  for  their  voates." 

"  Ordered,  in  answer  lo  Mr.  Holden's  bill  that  forthwith 
those  that  are  free  to  pay  thare  monies  for  Aqueadnesicke 
doe  enter  thare  names  and  that  tenn  days  be  appointed  for 
those  that  are  absent  to  ye  Clarke  to  enter  thare  names  also, 
and  bring  in  thare  monies." 

"At  a  Towne  meeting  held  in  Warwick  the  2d  of  November 
Mr.  Smiih  chosen  moderator,  the  Towne  tacking  it  into  serious 
consideration  the  regeneration  of  the  mill  dame,  and  beinge  it 
cannot  be  doue  untill  the  inhabitants  doe  generally  assist,  in 
the  worck,  have  therefore  thought  fitt  to  order  that  all  the  in- 
habitants doe  generally  assist  in  the  worck  ;  and  those  that  re- 
quier  satisfaction  for  iheir  t'me  Mr.  Harvi  doth  engage  to  pay 
them  ;  and  for  the  better  effectinge  of  the  mater  the  Towne 
doth  apoynt  Mr.  Weeks,  Mr.  John  Greene,  to  give  order  when 
and  who  shall  come  in  as  ocation  shall  requier,  as  allso  when 
all  the  inhabitants  shall  come  in  ;  and  if  any  refues  upon  such 
warning  from  the  deputed  men  above  sayd,  they  shall  bee  lya- 
ble  to  pay  a  fine  at  the  discretion  of  the  Towne,  accordinge  as 
the  damage  shall  appear,  for  their  neglect." 

"  Ordered  that  Mr.  John  Greene  is  apoynted  to  write  to  the 
President  and  Assistants  about  the  Indians  pressing  in  upon 
our  lands  and  spoiling  our  timber — desiring  their  assistants  to 
supres  their  violence." 

"  Jan.  6,  1661—2.  Ordered,  whereas  at  a  Towne  meeting  the 
3d  of  February  in  the  year  1657  there  was  granted  a  peace  for 
a  horse  pasture  for  the  Towne's  use  it  is  now  ordered,  that  all 
those  free  inhabitants  that  are  now  willing  to  fence  in  a  pasture 
for  horses,  heave  liberty,  granted  by  the  Towne  to  tacke  in 
either  three  quarters  of  a  mile,  or  a  mile  square,  more  or  less, 
on  the  west  side  of  Massapoge  pond;  and  that  the  said  pasture 
bee  only  proper  for  them  that  fence." 

"  May  10, 1662.  Ordered  that  Goodman  Hedger  is  apoynted 
to  give  notis  to  ye  inhabitants  of  ye  Towne  to  repayer  ye  fence 
at  Toskeunk  and  he  to  oversee  the  work." 

"  Ordered  that  any  man's  share  of  meddow  at  Potowomet 
and  Papepieset  alias  Tosceunck*  be  recorded  by  ye  Clarke  in 
ye  towne  Booke." 


*This  land  was  situated  not  far  from  the  present  village  of  Pontiac. 
It  was  also  written  Tauskounk  and  also  Tostiounke.  See  Providence 
Records,  v.  9.  Parsons  says  "there  was  an  Indian  tribe  there."  Prob- 
ably an  Indian  village  merely  and  not  a  separate  tribe. 


58  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK.  [1648-63. 


At  a  meeting  of  the  General  Assembly  *  held  in  this  town 
June  17,  1662,  on  petition  of  Mr.  Edmund  Calverly, 
Thomas  Ralph,  William  Burton,  James  Sweet  and  John 
Sweet  of  this  town  and  ten  or  twelve  more  of  the  free- 
men of  this  colony  "permission  was  granted  them  to  pur- 
chase of  the  natives  a  tract  of  land  lying  together  and 
not  exceeding  fower  thousand  akers."  At  the  same 
session  John  Greene,  James  Greene,  Thomas  Greene, 
with  two  others,  obtained  leave  '"to  purchase  fifteen  hun- 
dred ackers  according  to  the  former  rule." 

"  December  31.  Ordered  that  ye  Clarke  shall  heave  for  re- 
cording marridges  Is.  Od  and  for  reccrdinge  the  birth  of  a 
child  6d  and  tor  recordinge  the  death  of  a  person  6d." 

Gorton  and  his  associates  previous  to  their  purchase 
of  lands  in  this  town  were  charged  with  denying  the  le- 
gality of  all  human  governments.  Their  resistance  to 
the  several  governments  established  in  different  portions 
of  New  England,  where  for  a  time  they  had  taken  up 
their  temporary  abode,  arose  from  the  peculiar  views 
they  held  respecting  legally  organized  governments. 
Since  the  adoption  of  the  charter  they  nad  proved  the 
charge  against  them  to  have  been  groundless,  by  freely 
acquiescing  in  the  government  of  the  colony,  and  lending 
their  assistance  in  its  establishment.  They  were,  how- 
ever "strict  constructionists",  as  the  following  order  passed 
by  the  town  on  Oct.  12,  1668,  indicates: 

"  Ordered  in  regard  that  there  is  a  writing  directed  to  ye 
Warden  or  Deputy  Warden  of  ye  Towne  of  Warwick  and  sub- 
scribed James  J.  It.  Rogers,  and  not  ye  titell  of  any  ofice  annex- 
ed there  to;  the  Towne  doe  therefore  protest  against  it  as  being 
contrary  to  law.  and  order  that  report  bee  made  hereof  to  ye 
next  Court  of  Commissioners." 

"  It  is  further  ordered  that  the  Towne  being  sensible  of  mat- 
ters that  doe  depend  which  concerns  our  Agent,  Mr.  John 
Clarke,  doe  therefore  conclude  to  choose  commishioners  to  at- 


*  The  "General  Assembly  "  at  first  applied  only  to  a  meeting  of  all 
the  people.  The  legislative  body  uutil  IfioO  was  usually  called  the 
"Court  of  Commissioners,"  or  "General  Court  of  Commissioners." 
Subsequent  to  this  date  it  styled  itself  the  "General  Assembly."  The 
distinction  was  not  clearly  defined,  and  I  have  used  the  terms  inter- 
changeably. 


1648-63.]  CHANGE  IN   CTJBKENCY.  59 

tend  ye  Court,  netwithstandinge  ye  Illegality  of  ye  said  writing, 
and  that  justice  may  pioceed  notwithstandinge  ye  said  ne- 
glect, doe  [illegible]  order  to  chuse  Jurymen  to  attend  uppon  ye 
Court  of  Tryalls." 

The  currency  of  the  colony,  wampum  peage.  which 
had  been  in  use  from  the  earliest  settlement,  had  fallen  so 
low  in  value  that  it  was  declared  to  be  no  longer  legal 
tender.  The  other  colonies  had  abandoned  it  some  time 
previously. — Massachusetts  had  commenced  the  coining 
of  silver  ten  years  before.  "All  fines,  rates,  fees,  da m- 
adges  and  costs  ol  court  in  all  actions  now,  were  to  bee 
accounted  and  payed  in  current  pay  according  to  mer- 
chants pay,"  that  is,  in  sterling  or  New  England  currency. 

As  there  was  no  restriction  in  relation  to  the  manu- 
facture of  peage,  a  large  amount  came  early  into  circu- 
lation, and  as  early  as  1649,  a  law  was  passed  lowering 
the  standard  of  black  peage  one  third,  and  four  instead 
of  three  per  penny  was  made  the  legal  rate.  A  con- 
siderable amount  of  broken,  and  much  that  showed  less 
care  or  skill  in  its  preparation,  found  its  way  into  the 
circulation,  and  tended  to  depreciate  its  value.  The 
coinage  of  silver  in  Massachusetts  began  in  1652,  and 
shillings  and  sixpences  bearing  that  date  are  still  extant. 
Thirty  shillings  of  New  England  silver  was  equal  to 
twenty  shillings  sixpence  sterling.  Specimens  of  the 
Indian  currency  may  be  found  in  various  collections  of 
curiosities,  both  public  and  private. 


60  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1663-67. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

From  1663  to  the  close  of  Philip's  War. 

Down  to  even  a  comparatively  late  date  the  meetings 
of  the  General  Assembly  when  convened  in  this  town,  as 
well  as  the  town  meetings,  were  held  either  in  private 
houses,  or  in  taverns.  Whether  a  town  house  was  built 
previous  to  the  breaking  out  of  Philip's  war,  is  uncertain 
though  probably  not.  The  attention  of  the  people  how- 
ever was  called  to  the  necessity  of  some  public  building, 
and  some  preliminary  measures  were  taken  in  regard  to 
the  matter.  The  earliest  efforts  in  this  direction  were 
on  Feb.  20,  1663,  under  which  date  Edmund  Calverly 
and  Goodman  Westcott  were  added  to  a  committee  ap- 
pointed for  this  purpose.     The  record  continues  : 

"  It  is  ordered  and  agreed  by  those  that  were  appointed  by 
ye  town  to  lay  out  Peter  Burzecott's  acker  of  land  which  is  for 
a  tenement,  is  laid  out  8  poles  wide  on  ye  front;  and  ye  side 
adjoininge  to  ye  northerern  end  of  Goodman  Westcott's  house 
lot  being  twentie  one  pole  in  length;  and  ye  other  side  but 
nineteene  poles  in  length  joyninge  to  ye  lott  layd  out  for  ye 
Towne  house,  which  saide  lott  is  six  poles  wide  on  ye  front, 
that  is  to  say,  to  ye  way  that  leadeth  through  ye  Towne,  it 
beiug  easterly  from  ye  front,  of  ye  said  Towne  lott  and  ye 
length  of  ye  sayde  lott  to  be  nineteene  poles  on  that  side  next 
to  Peter  Burzecott's,  and  ye  other  end  fower  poles  and  half 
wide  next  to  ye  common,  and  ye  other  side  bounded  by  ye  high- 
way that  leadeth  into  ye  common  by  James  Sweet's  hous  lott, 
which  sayde  highway  is  six  poles  wide  at  ye  least,  and  ye  bury- 
inge  place  layd  out  for  ye  Towne  is  eight  poles  squaer,  joining 
to  ye  western  end  of  Peter  Burzecott's  aker  of  land  adjoininge 
to  Goodman  Waskott's  hous  lott,  which  is  ye  southern  bounds 
of  ye  buryinge  place  and  on  ye  west  by  ye  common  and  northerly 
by  common." 


16(53-67.]      PREPARATIONS   FOR   A   TOWN   HOUSE.  61 

Nothing  further  appears  to  have  been  done  about  the 
town  house  until  March,  1675,  when  the  town  ordered 
"that  every  man  in  this  Towne  that  hath  not  a  teeme 
shall  give  a  days  work  at  digging  and  loading  stones ;  and 
every  man  that  hath  a  teeme  shall  allow  a  day's  work 
with  his  teeme  to  draw  ye  said  stones  into  place,  at  such 
time  when  they  shall  be  warned  thereto  by  a  beate  of  the 
drum  or  other  ways  which  worke  will  be  a  good  prepar- 
ative toward  building  thesayd  house." 

"  May  18,  1663.  Ordered  th/it  all  ye  inhabitants  from  Job 
Allmy's  to  Lippit's  bridge  doe  goe  forth  to  set  up  ye  fence  that 
goeth  to  ye  great  pond  to  ye  head  of  ye  Coeve  by  Aponahock 
[Apponaug]  ye  21  of  this  instant,  and  Mr.  John  Greene  is  ye 
surveyor  of  ihera  ;  and  ye  23d  of  ye  same  Mr.  Edmund  Calverly 
is  to  led  forth  all  ye  inhabitants  to  finish  the  fence." 

Feb.  22, 1664-5.  "  Ordered  that  Mr.  Walter  Todd  treasurer 
of  ye  Towne  of  Warwieke  bee  desired  to  agre  with  some  worke- 
man  to  make  a  pair  of  stocks  for  ye  use  of  ye  Towne,  and  ye 
same  to  be  delivered  into  ye  constable's  custody,  who  is  hereby 
ordered  to  set  them  up  in  some  convenient  place  in  ye  town  of 
Warwick." 

By  act  of  the  General  Assembly  all  the  towns  were 
required  to  have  a  cage  or  pair  of  stocks.*  Previously 
the  town  was  entitled  to  the  use  of  those  in  Providence, 
while  the  latter  town  was  entitled  to  the  use  of  the 
Warwick  prison. 

The  lawless  Pomh am  was  notified  that  he  was  "in  this 
Collonye  jurisdiction ;  and  that  hee  take  some  speedye 
course  to  issue  the  difference  betwixt  the  men  of  War- 
wick and  himselfe  concerning  lands  &c;  or  else  that  hee 
may  expect  that  upon  a  legal  triall  the  courts  of  this  col- 
ony are  resolved  to  doe  justice  in  the  premises."! 

The  earliest  book  of  records  in  the  Town  Clerk's  office 
contains  several  entries  of  inquests  that  are  models  of 
simplicity  and  honesty.  The  following  is  under  date  of 
February  18,  1665.  After  such  an  explicit  statement  of 
the  facts  in  the  case  one  is  hardly  willing  to  doubt  but 
that  little  Mary  was  lawfully  and  accidentally  drowned, 

*  Arnold,  i,  312.     f  R.  I.  Col.  Rec.  ii,  32. 


62  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1663-67. 

though  the  verdict  of  the  jury  on  the  following  day  hard- 
ly exonerates  her  parents  from  blame.  Eliza  Collins, 
one  of  the  jury,  was  not  a  woman.  His  name  is  written 
also  Elyza  in  subsequent  records ;  also  in  his  military  ca- 
pacity he  is  styled  Lieut.  Eliza  Collins.* 

"Mary  Samon,  daughter  of  John  and  Ann  Samon.  aged  nine 
years  or  thereabouts,  was  found  drowned  in  ye  brooke,  by  Mr. 
Anthony  Low's;  and  ye  nineteenth  of  February  Capt.  John 
Greene  beirig  Crowner  or  Coroner,  whh  a  jury  of  12  men,  did 
inquire  into  ye  ocation  of  her  death  by  drowning;  ye  jurymen's 
names  here  folleth:  Eichard  Carder,  foreman;  Eliza  Collins, 
John  Lippitt,  senior,  John  Potter,  John  Sweet,  Sam.  Stafford, 
James  Sweet,  Amos  W  estcott,  Samuel  Gorton,  Jun.,  John 
Wickes,  Jun.,  Jeremy  Westcott,  William  Eaton. — Thomas 
Scranton  adged  25  yeares  or  thereabouts  being  engaged,  did 
testify  before  ye  Crowner  and  jury  that  on  ye  18th  of  February 
1655,  three  howers  wilhin  night  John  Head,  father  in  law  to 
Mary  Samon,  came  to  Mr.  Anthony  Low's  house  to  desire  him, 
ye  said  Thomas  Scranton  with  a  lanthorne  and  candle  to  seeke 
for  his  daughter  in  law  Mary  Samon,  who  was  sent  to  fetch  wa- 
ter at  ye  brooke  and  came  not  againe.  When  they  came  to  ye 
brooke  they  found  ye  said  Mary  Samon  drowned  in  ye  middle 
of  ye  brooke;  and  Mr.  Anthony  Low  testifyeth  that  it  was  three 
howers  within  night  when  John  Read  aforesaid  came  to  borrow 
a  lanthorne  and  candle  which  was  readily  lent.  The  verdict  of 
ye  jury  February  ye  18th  1665:  Wee  ye  grand  inquest  doe  find 
that  Mary  Samon  being  about  eyght  or  nyne  years  of  age  was 
sent  by  her  mother  in  a  very  dark  night  alone  to  a  brooke  by 
Mr.  Low's  to  fetch  water  and  was  found  in  ye  brooke  drowned.'' 

Anthony  Low  resided  in  Warwick  from  the  year  1656,  when  he 
was  admitted  a  freeman,  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Indian 
War.  His  house  with  others  having  been,  burnt  by  the  Indians 
in  March,  1676,  he  went  to  Swanzey,  where  he  continued  to  re- 
side. He  is  the  person  referred  to  by  Capt.  Church,  "  who 
volunteered  from  friendship,  and  the   interest  he  felt  in  the 

*  The  name  Eliza  as  a  masculine  prenomen  and  that  of  Philip  as  a 
feminine  seems  to  have  been  iu  use  at  this  time.  The  former  occurs 
several  times  in  the  town  records  to  designate  the  same  individual, 
though  written  by  different  persons.  He  is  referred  to  as  "Lieut. 
Eliza  Collins"  in  a  few  instances.  Mr.  Bartlctt  in  H.  I.  Col.  Rec.  iii.  3, 
has  it  spelt  Elza.  Philip  Greene  was  the  wife  of  John  Greene  senior, 
as  written  in  his  last  will.  Eliza  Collins  was  the  son  of  Thomas  Col- 
lins, who  married  Abigail  House.  Thomas  Collins'  children  were, 
Eliza,  born  Nov.  17,  1693;  William,  February  8,  1(195;  Thomas,  Jan.  31, 
1696;  Sarah,  Oct.  31,  1698;  Thankful,  Aug.  27, 1700;  Anna,  July  16, 1707; 
Samuel,  May  30,  1709;  Abigail,  Nov.  20,  1711;  the  last  three  by  a  sec- 
ond wife. 


1663-67.]      CORRESPONDENCE   WITH   WILLIAMS.  63 

success  of  his  cause,  to  carry  him  from  Newport  to  Sognacate, 
and  thence  to  Sandwich,  in  July,  1676,  at  the  risk  of  vessel  and 
cargo."     Updike* s  Narragansett,  p.  391. 

Thomas  Stafford  came  from  Warwickshire,.  England.  About 
1626  he  was  an  inhabitant  of  Plymouth  colony,  whence  he  re- 
moved to  Providence,  where  he  erected  the  first  grist  mill  in 
Rhode  Island,  which  was  situated  at  the  north  end  of  the  town, 
near  the  mill  bridge.  Without  remaining  there  long,  he  re- 
moved to  Old  Warwick  and  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days. 
He  secured  for  himself  a  considerable  tract  of  land  at  the  head 
of  mill  cove,  including  the  present  mill  site,  where  he  erected 
another  grist  mill.  He  lived  on  the  north  side  of  the  mill 
stream  where  stands  the  house  owned  by  Amos  Greene,  and 
was  formerly  the  property  of  the  Lippitt  family.  He  had  three 
sons,  viz.:  Thomas,  Samuel  and  Joseph;  and  three  daughters, 
Deborah,  Hannah  and  Sarah.  Thomas  married  Jane  Dodge, 
Samuel  married  Mercy  Westcott,  daughter  of  Stukely  West- 
cott,  and  Joseph  married  Sarah  Holden,  daughter  of  Randall 
Holden. 

Samuel  Stafford  succeeded  to  his  father's  estate,  where  he 
died  at  the  advanced  age  of  83,  leaving  two  sons.  Thomas  and 
Amos.  Thomas  inherited  the  homestead,  including  the  mill, 
and  Amos  fixed  his  residence  about  half  a  mile  northwest, 
where  he  built  a  house  (which  was  burnt  in  the  occupancy  of 
his  grandson  Thomas,  in  the  year  1767,  being  on  the  same  spot 
where  the  mansion  house  now  stands.)  He  (Amos)  had  thir- 
teen children,  only  five  of  whom  survived  him,  viz.:  two  sons, 
Samuel  and  Amos,  and  three  daughters,  Mary,  Marcy  and 
Freelove." 

During  the  early  history  of  the  colony  the  several 
towns  comprising  it  were  exceedingly  jealous  of  their 
individual  rights,  and  were  on  the  constant  lookout  lest 
those  rights  should  be  infringed.  They  were  free  and 
outspoken  in  their  condemnation  of  any  measure  that 
did  not  meet  with  their  approval.  In  1662  the  town 
received  a  letter  respecting  the  rate  that  had  been  levied 
upon  the  several  towns  in  behalf  of  Mr.  John  Clarke, 
their  agent  in  England.  The  town  had  delayed  the 
matter  of  collecting  the  amount  assigned  to  it,  which 
had  occasioned  the  use  of  somewhat  strong  language  on 
the  part  of  Mr.  Williams.  A  letter  was  returned  in 
answer  to  clear  it  from  the  "aspertion  that  seems  to  be 
layd  upon  the  town  for  not  levying  the  said  rates." 
Further  correspondence  followed  in  regard  to  the  matter, 


64  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK.  [1663-67. 

and,  at  a  general  training  the  26th  of  March,  1666, 
"Mr.  Williams,  his  letter  being  read  at  ye  head  of  ye 
company,  it  was  voated  that  ye  saide  letter  was  a  per- 
nissious  letter,  and  that  what  was  contained  therein, 
tended  to  stir  up  strifes,  devisions  and  contentions  in  ye 
towne  of  Warwick,  and  that  ye  towne  clarke  doe  record 
this  vote  and  send  Mr.  Williams  a  coppie  of  ye  same  as 
ye  towne's  answer  to  ye  same  letter,  no  man  dissenting 
from  this  voate." 

The  Warwick  letter  was  considered  by  the  General 
Assembly,  which  appears  to  have  coincided  with  Mr. 
Williams'  view  in  regard  to  the  matter,  as  it  was  ordered 
"  that  a  letter  be  sent  to  them  from  the  court  to  provocke 
and  stir  them  up  to  pay  the  rate  speedylie." 

"  July  2,  1666.  Ordered  that  John  Garyardy  who  hath  con- 
fessed himselfe  to  be  a  thiefe  and  stands  convict  in  a  court  of 
record  for  stealing,  bee  not  for  ye  future  admitted  to  have  any- 
thing to  doe  in  ye  towne  meetings,  but  is  by  this  order  ex- 
punged ye  socyety  of  honest  men,  which  order  did  pass  uppon  a 
bill  presented  by  Edmund  Calverly  Town  Clarke." 

On  page  148  of  town  records  (transcribed  edition)  the  bound- 
aries of  Edward  Calverly 's  land  are  given.  He  had  forty-two 
acres  on  "  Horse  Neck,"  the  east  line  running  from  Oakland 
Beach  point  up  Warwick  cove  to  the  lands  of  Samuel  Gorton. 
He  afterwards  received  forty-two  acres  adjoining  from  Anna 
Smith,  widow  of  John  (Smith,  and  Eliza  Collins.  John 
Sweet's  land  was  to  the  westward  and  adjoining  Calverly's. 
Samuel  Gorton's  land  was  at  the  head  of  the  cove.  A  portion 
of  it  still  remains  in  possession  of  his  descendants.  The  debris 
of  an  old  dwelling  destroyed  many  years  ago  may  still  be  seen 
upon  the  estate,  which  was  built  at  a  period  antedating  the 
memory  of  any  person  now  living. 

In  November,  1663,  the  colony  of  Rhode  Island  for- 
mally adopted  the  Royal  Charter  granted  by  Charles 
2d,  which  was  obtained  through  the  agency  of  the  Rev. 
John  Clarke.* 

In  January,  1664-65,  f  Sir  Robert  Carr,  George  Cart- 
wright  and  Samuel  Maverick  arrived  at  Newport,  autho- 

*  Mr.  Clarke  was  the  founder  and  first  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church  at  Newport.     Knowles'  Roger  Williams,  p.  238. 

t  In  Old  Style  the  year  commenced  on  the  25th  of  March.  The  cor- 
rection of  the  calender  hy  Pope  Gregory,  in  158.',  was   not  adopted  by 


1663-67.]  TOWN   RECORDS   MUTILATED.  65 

rized  to  act  as  the  king's  commissioners  to  regulate  the 
offices  of  the  several  colonies  of  New  England.  The 
commission  had  been  appointed  in  view  of  the  com- 
plaints that  had  been  received  by  the  home  government. 
The  commissioners  were  favorably  received,  and  in  due 
time  presented  several  propositions  to  the  General  As- 
sembly of  Rhode  Island,  among  which  were  the  follow- 
ing : 

"  It  is  his  majesty's  will  and  pleasure, 

1.  That  all  householders  inhabiting  this  colony  take  the  oath 
of  allegiance,  and  that  the  administration  of  justice  be  in  the 
kings  name. 

4.  That  all  the  laws  and  expressions  in  laws  derogatory  to 
his  majesty,  if  any  such  have  been  made  in  these  late  troublous 
times,  may  be  repealed,  altered  and  taken  off  the  files." 

In  view  of  this  last  proposition,  the  town,  by  a  special 
order,  caused  a  portion  of  its  records,  containing  its  sub- 
mission to  the  Commonwealth  under  Cromwell,  to  be 
destroyed.  The  portion  destroyed  was  the  13th  and 
part  of  the  14th  leaf,  the  latter  containing  the  signatures 
of  the  settlers.  A  portion  of  the  "  submission  "  remains, 
with  a  majority  of  the  signatures.  On  a  vacant  portion 
of  the  preceding  page  is  the  following  entry: 

"  This  leafe  was  torn  out  by  order  of  ye  Towne  the  29th  of 
June,  1667,  it  being  ye  submition  to  ye  stat  of  England  with- 
out ye  king's  majesty,  it  being  ye  13th  page." 

The  Indians  under  Pomham  still  continued  to  reside 
at  Shawomet,  and  were  a  source  of  much  trouble. 
Pomham  lacked  many   of  those   nobler  qualities   which 


the  British  Parliament  until  1751,  when  it  was  ordered  that  eleven 
days  should  be  struck  out  of  September,  1752,  and  the  third  of  that 
month  was  recorded  the  fourteenth.  The  latter  mode  of  reckoning  is 
called  New  Style,  and  the  year  then  commenced  on  the  first  of  Janu- 
ary. Before  the  year  1752,  a  confusion  of  dates  was  liable,  it  being 
difficult  to  determine  whether  January,  February  and  a  part  of  March 
closed  one  year  or  began  the  next.  Hence  the  mode  of  double  dates 
as  above,  which  is  Jauuary,  1665,  New  Style.  In  order  to  find  the 
day  of  the  month  in  New  Style  corresponding  to  a  given  day  of  any 
month  ia  Old  Style,  consider  the  latter  as  eleven  days  in  advance  of 
the  former.  For  instance,  Jan.  1st,  1664,  Old  Style,  corresponds  to 
Jan.  12,  1665,  New  Style. 

*6 


66  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK.  [1663-67. 

distinguished  several  of  the  other  sachems,  and  the  time 
had  now  come  when  efforts  were  to  be  made  for  his 
removal.  The  settlers  were  not  sufficiently  powerful 
to  reduce  them  to  subjection,  and  the  Assembly  had  been 
appealed  to  in  vain  to  afford  them  protection.  The 
policy  of  both  the  town  and  State  had  been  one  of  peace 
toward  them  as  far  as  the  nature  of  the  case  would  per- 
mit. But  matters  had  arrived  at  such  a  state  that  it  was 
clearly  seen  that  the  habits  of  the  two  races  were  such 
that  little  hope  could  be  entertained  of  their  dwelling 
together  without  the  constant  and  increasing  danger  of 
an  outbreak  that  would  lead  to  the  total  destruction  of 
the  one  or  the  other  race.  The  arrival  of  the  king's 
commissioners  afforded  the  settlers  an  opportunity  to  lay 
their  grievances  before  them,  which  they  accordingly 
did,  and  negotiations  were  soon  entered  into  between 
them  that  promised  speedy  relief.  These  efforts,  as  we 
shall  see,  though  not  immediately  resulting  in  their  re- 
moval, prepared  the  way  for  it.  Clouds  were  gathering- 
over  the  colony,  and  a  storm,  fearful  and  destructive,  was 
soon  to  break  forth  which  would  forever  settle  the  con- 
troversy, sending  destruction  to  the  homes  of  the  settlers 
and  death  or  banishment  to  Pomham  and  his  followers. 
The  following  order  was  issued  : 

"  Wee,  by  the  power  given  us  by  the  King's  Commissioners, 
haveing  heard  the  complaint  of  the  towne  of  Warwicke,  doe 
order  and  appoint  that  Pumham  and  the  Indians  with  him  shall 
plant  their  corne  this  yeare  upon  the  neck  of  land  which  they 
have  so  long  detained  from  the  said  towne  and  that  before  the 
next  planting  time,  he,  and  all  the  Indians  with  him  shall  re- 
move to  some  other  place  out  of  the  King's  Province  provided 
for  them  by  such  as  they  have  subjected  themselves  unto,  or 
to  some  place  appointed  for  them  by  Pessicus.  We  alsoe  order 
and  appoint,  that  as  soone  as  they  are  ready  to  remove,  and 
give  notice  to  Mr.  Gorton  before  they  remove,  the  towne  of 
Warwicke  shall  give  unto  the  said  Pumham  twenty  pound  at 
eight  penny;  and  if  Pumham  and  those  with  him  shall  subject 
themselves  to  Pessicus,  and  that  the  said  Pessicus  provide  a 
place  for  him,  and  them  within  the  King's  Province,  then  the 
town  of  Warwicke  shall  also  give  tenn  pounds  at  eight  a  penny 
to  Pessicus  as  a  present.  Given  under  our  hands  and  seales  at 
Warwicke  April  the  7th,  1665." 

The  above  is  signed  by  the  three  commissioners. 


1663-67.]      EFFORTS   TO   REMOVE   THE   INDIANS.  67 

The  following  deed  of  acquittance  was  signed  by 
Cheesechamut,  Nawshwahcowet  and  Assowawet,  and 
duly  witnessed  by  Sir  Robert  Carr  and  five  of  the  War- 
wicke  men  : 

"  Know  all  men  by  these  presents,  that  I  Cheesechamut 
eldest  sonne  of  Pumham  having  received  of  the  gentlemen  of 
Warwick  the  summe  of  thirty  pounds  in  peag  at  eight  a  penny 
and  upon  promise  to  receive  the  summe  of  ten  pounds  more  in 
like  pay  of  the  said  gentlemen,  do  hereby  in  the  name,  and  on 
behalfe  of  my  father  and  myselfe  with  the  rest  of  our  company, 
promise  to  depart  from  and  quit  that  tract  of  land  commonly 
called  and  known  by  the  name  of  Warwicke  neck,  as  also  all 
the  province  now  called  the  King's  Province,  formerl}-  the 
Narragansett  country,  immediately  on  the  receipt  of  the  said 
summe  of  ten  pounds;  and  not  at  any  time  thereafter  to  re- 
turne  to  inhabit  in  the  aforesaid  place  or  places.  In  witness 
whereof  I  the  said  Cheesechamut,  have  hereunto  put  my  hand 
the  28th  day  of  December,  1665,  at  Mr.  Smith's  trading  house." 

The  foregoing,  with  a  letter  of  Sir  Robert  Carr  to  Mr. 
Gorton  and  Capt.  H olden  ;  a  testimonial  of  five  War- 
wick men  that  the  ten  pouuds  promised  to  Pumham  had 
been  delivered  to  him  ;  an  order  from  Commissioner 
Carr  for  Pumham  to  remove  ;  one  from  the  missionary 
John  Elliot  interceding  in  behalf  of  Pumham  ;  Sir  Rob- 
ert's  reply  to  Elliot ;  Roger  Williams'  letter  to  Carr 
relating  to  the  matter,  and  one  of  Carr  to  Lord  Arling- 
ton relative  to  Pumham  and  Warwick  affairs,  were  col- 
lected by  Hon.  John  R.  Bartlett,  late  Secretary  of  State, 
and  may  be  found  in  R.  I.  Col.  Rec.  II.  132-8. 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  famous  tax 
of  six  hundred  pounds,  levied  in  1664,  and  apportioned 
among  the  several  towns.  William  Harris,  the  assistant 
from  Providence,  was  chief  of  the  committee  for  its  col- 
lection, and  between  him  and  some  of  the  leaders  in 
this  town  a  sharp  controversy  existed  because  of  the 
vigorous  measures  he  had  adopted  in  regard  to  the 
matter.  Harris  had  previously  occasioned  so  much 
trouble  in  the  Assembly  that  he  had  been  deposed  from 
office,  but  in  March,  1668-9,  had  been  returned,  and  an 
Assembly  order  had  been  passed  "  that  a  pending  indict- 


68  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1663-67. 

ment  should  not  prevent  any  general  officer,  fairly 
elected,  from  holding  his  office."  The  Newport  mem- 
bers sustained  Harris,  and  on  the  January  preceding  had 
sent  a  letter  to  Warwick,  which  called  forth  the  follow- 
ing answer,  which,  as  Mr.  Arnold  justly  observes,  "  de- 
serves a  place  among  the  curiosities  of  legislation.  The 
writing  bears  the  date  of  March  25th,  1669. 

"  Voted  upon  the  reading  of  a  letter  directed  to  '  Mr.  Ed- 
mund Calverly  and  Mr.  John  Greene  and  the  rest  of  that  fac- 
tion,' &c.  desiring  to  he  communicated  to  the  honest  inhabit- 
ants of  Warwicke  town,  subscribed  John  Cranston  to  the  end  of 
the  chapter,  dated  the  2(Jth  January.  1668,  and  finding  the  same 
doth  not  answer  the  town's  letter  to  that  part  of  the  committee, 
&c,  who  reside  at  Newport,  touching  the  rate;  but  is  full  of 
uncivil  language.  ******  Therefore  the  town  unani- 
mously do  condemn  the  same  and  think  it  not  fit  tu  be  put 
amongst  the  records  of  the  town,  but  do  order  that  the  clerk 
put  in  on  a  file  where  impertinent  papers  shall  be  for  the  future; 
to  the  end  that  those  persons  who  have  not  learned  in  the 
school  of  good  manners  how  to  speak  to  men  in  the  lauguage 
of  sobriety  (if  they  be  sought  for)  may  be  there  found." 

I  have  made  dilgent  inquiries  respecting  this  "  file,"  but'have 
not  been  able  to  find  it.  It  doubtless  contained  other  curiosities, 
and  among  them  the  " pernissious"  letter  of  Roger  Williams. 
It  was  afterwards  referred  to,  and  received  a  still  more  vigor- 
ous title,  which  we  forbear  mentioning.  The  curious  reader 
may  find  the  title  in  the  town  records  under  date  of  Oct.  18, 

1669,  when  a  letter  of  William  Harris  was  consigned  to  its 
keeping.  Harris  himself  was  warned  the  following  month 
"  not  to  enter  the  town  without  leave,"  and  such  was  the  feel- 
ing against  him  that  had  he  done  so  the  inhabitants  would  have 
put  him  upon  the  same  file — metaphorically. 

At  a  meeting  of  the    General   Assembly,    June    29, 

1670,  held  in  this  town,  a  rate  of  three  hundred  pounds 
was  ordered  for  an  aerent  to  England.  Dr.  John  Clarke 
and  Mr.  John  Greene  were  appointed  "  to  bee  agents 
jointly  to  be  commissionated  in  the  Collonyes  behalfe  to 
goe  to  England  to  vindicate  the  said  charter  before  his 
gratious  majestye."  * 

An  error  in  the  records  assigns  this  session  to  New- 
pore.     But  from  the  minutes  of  the  Governor  and  mag- 

*  11.  I.  Col.  Kec.  II.  338-9. 


1663-67.]      DEPUTY  GOVERNOR  GREENE.  69 


istrates  of  Newport,  held  the  Friday  previous,  and  those 
held  the  October  following,  it  is  evident  the  place  was 
Warwick. 

Major  John  Greene,  son  of  John,  senior,  married  Ann  Almy, 
daughter  of  William  Almy,  of  Portsmouth.  He  held  at  differ- 
ent limes  the  offices  of  General  Recorder,  General  Attorney, 
and  General  Solicitor.  In  company  with  the  Eev.  John  Clarke, 
(a  man  whom  the  colony  delighted  to  honor)  he  was  appointed 
an  agent  to  England  to  attend  to  important  matters  pertaining 
to  the  interests  "of  the  Colony.  He  was  in  office  a  considerable 
portion  of  his  life,  and  from  1690  to  1700  was  annually  elected 
to  the  office  of  Deputy  Governor.  He  had  eleven  children, 
Deborah,  the  eldest,  was  born  August  10, 1619,  and  Samuel,  the 
youngest,  January  30, 1670-1.  The  latter  married  the  daughter 
of  Benjamin  Gorton,  one  of  the  sons  of  Samuel  Gorton,  senior. 
He  lived  at  Apponaug,in  a  house  torn  down  within  the  memory 
of  persons  now  living.  It  stood  in  back  of  the  house  now 
owned  and  occupied  by  Samuel  Greene,  on  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  the  Centreville  and  Greenwich  roads.  A  portion  of  the 
old  timbers  were  used  in  the  erection  of  the  present  house.  In 
the  old  burial  place  at  Occupasnetuxet,  on  tombstones  still  well 
preserved,  may  be  seen  the  following  inscriptions  : 

Here  lyeth  the  Here  lyeth  the  body 

body  of  Iohn  Greene,  Esq.  of  Ann  ye  wife  of 

&  late   debt"ie  Gover "?  Major    Iohn    Greene 

he  departed  this  life  She  deceased  in  the 

in  ye  89th  vear  of  his  age  82d  year  of  her  age 

Novem  br'ye  27th,  1708.  May  ye  6th,  1709. 

In  June  1671,  the  town  petitioned  the  General  Assem- 
bly "to  have  the  inhabitants  and  the  lands  of  Mashanta- 
tat  added  to  the  town.*  The  petition  was  referred  to 
the  next  meeting  of  the  Assembly,  but  I  find  no  subse- 
quent action  taken  in  the  matter.  On  the  following 
October  the  sum  of  forty  shillings  was  assessed  upon  the 
inhabitants  of  this  place  as  its  portion  of  the  two  hun- 
dred pounds  levied  upon  the  colony.  Warwick  at  the 
same  time  had  the  sum  of  £22  15s.  assessed  as  its  portion. 

The  following  is  a  price  list  of  certain  articles  at  this  period  : 
"  Pork  3d.  or  2  1-2  cents  per  pound:  peas,  3s.  6d.  or  29  1-2  cts. 
per  bushel;  wool  12d.  or  8  cts.  per  pound;  butter  6d.  or  4  1-2 


*  Mashantatat  was  also  written  Moshanticut  and  Mashantatuck, 
and  sometimes  abbreviated  to  Shanticut  and  Shautic.  It,  was  situat- 
ed along  the  rivor  of  that  name  to  the  north  of  Natick  and  west  of 
Oaklawn  in  the  present  town  of  Cranston. 


70 


HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1663-67. 


cts.  per  pound;  corn  3s.  or  25  cts.  per  bushel;  oats  2s.  3d.  or  28 1-2 
cts.  per  bushel.*  Forty  shillings  of  the  New  England  cur- 
rency was  equivalent  to  thirty  shillings  English  currency. 

In  1675  the  severe  conflict  between  the  Indians  and  the 
several  colonies  of  New  England,  generally  known  as 
Philip's  war,  broke  out,  sending  desolation  on  every 
hand.  Though  the  Rhode  Island  colony  can  hardly  be 
said  to  have  taken  an  active  part  in  it,  her  geographical 
position  caused  her  to  suffer  as  much,  if  not  more,  than 
either  of  the  other  colonies.  This  town  was  destined  to 
be  one  of  the  chief  sufferers.  With  danger  threatening 
them  on  every  hand  and  without  adequate  means  of  pro- 
tection, the  inhabitants  sought  safety  in  voluntary  exile 
on  the  island  of  Aquidneck,  where  they  remained  for 
more  than  a  year.  Every  house  in  the  town,  with  the 
single  exception  of  one  built  of  stone,  was  destroyed,  and 
all  their  improvements  laid  waste.  It  will  not  be  neces- 
sary to  trace  the  causes  that  led  to  the  war  or  relate  its 
details.  Its  general  outlines  may  be  given  in  order  to 
obtain  a  fair  understanding  of  the  terror  and  danger  to 
which  the  settlers  were  subjected. 

The  storm  had  been  gathering  for  several  years.  The 
relations  between  the  Indians  and  whites  had  been  grow- 
ing mere  and  more  unsatisfactory  since  the  tragical  death 
of  Miantonomi.  It  was  one  of  the  traits  of  the  Indian 
character  never  to  forget  an  injury,  and  the  death  of  the 
Narragansett  chief  at  the  instigation  of  the  United  Com- 
missioners  seems  never  to  have  been  forgiven.  But  this 
of  itself  would  have  been  allowed  to  pass  unrevenged, 
had  there  not  been  other  causes  that  conspired  to  bring 
about  the  same  result.  The  Narragansetts  as  a  tribe 
were  friendly  to  the  settlers  of  the  Rhode  Island  colony, 
and  were  only  eventually  brought  into  the  conflict  by 
the  peculiar  position  in  which  they  were  placed,  and  by 
strong  influences  brought  to  bear  upon  them  by  the 
more  warlike  tribes  to  the  eastward.    Philip,f  the  second 

*  R.  I.  Col.  Records. 

t  Philip's  Indian  name  was  Pometacom  or  Metacornet.  His  Eng- 
lish name,  Philip,  by  which  he  is  now  more  generally  known  was 
given  him  at  Plymouth  Court  about  1(55(3,  or  according  to  Mather  in 
1662.   Morton's  Memorial  286-7  and  Drake,  Book  iii.  p.  6. 


1663-67.]  KING  PHILIP'S  WAR.  71 

son  of  Massasoit,  sometimes  called  "the  good  old  Massa- 
soit,"  was  the  chief  of  the  Warn  pan  oags,  and  had  his 
principal  residence  at  Mt.  Hope.  His  elder  brother 
Wamsutta,  had  succeeded  his  father  as  sachem,  and  had 
fallen  under  suspicion  of  the  settlers  in  the  neighboring 
colony,  and  pending  some  efforts  on  their  part  to  learn 
his  disposition  toward  them,  had  suddenly  sickened  and 
died.  Philip  succeeded  his  brother  as  sachem,  and  in 
1671  the  English  at  Plymouth  suspecting  him  of  plotting 
against  them,  summoned  him  before  them.  Philip  at 
first  denied  the  charge,  but  in  view  of  the  strong  proofs 
brought  against  him  he  finally  made  a  confession.  How 
extensive  were  the  preparations  made  at  this  time  does 
not  appear,  or  whether  he  contemplated  a  general  up- 
rising of  all  the  tribes  that  subsequently  were  brought 
into  the  alliance,  it  is  impossible,  perhaps,  to  determine. 
Sufficient  was  revealed  to  awaken  the  alarm  of  the  col- 
onists, and  lead  them  to  take  immediate  and  activeme  as- 
ures  for  their  protection. 

His  hostile  intention  having  been  discovered,  Philip 
was  obliged  to  submit  for  the  time  being  to  the  demands 
of  Plymouth  colony.  With  four  of  his  chief  counsellors 
he  signed  an  act  of  submission,  agreeing  to  give  up  all 
the  arms  in  possession  of  his  people  into  the  hands  of 
the  Governor  of  Plymouth,  to  be  kept  as  long  as  the 
government  should  see  reason  to-  hold  them.  Subse- 
quently a  new  exaction  was  made  of  him,  requiring  him 
to  pay  <£i00  in  three  years  to  the  colony  of  Plymouth, 
and  five  wolves'  heads  annually  thereafter,  and  neither 
to  sell  his  lands  or  to  make  war  without  their  consent. 
The  agreement  was  submitted  to  only  as  a  matter  of  ne- 
cessity, the  alternative  being  immediate  war.  The  wily 
chief,  knowing  that  he  was  unprepared  for  such  an  al- 
ternative, submitted  as  patiently  as  possible,  but  his  rest- 
less, independent  spirit  was  by  no  means  subdued.  He 
saw  that  the  demands  of  the  white  men  were  becoming 
more  and  more  severe  upon  his  people.  They  would 
soon  become  the  sole  possessors  of  the  soil  and  drive 
them   from   their  territory,    unless    united   and   active 


72  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK.  [1663-67. 

measures  were  taken  to  prevent  it.  They  were  becom- 
ing stronger  day  by  day,  while  his  people  were  becoming 
weaker.  They  who  had  been  received  in  kindness  in 
the  period  of  their  weakness,  had  requited  that  kindness 
by  severity  when  they  had  become  strong.  If  they 
would  recover  their  lost  power,  or  retain  what  they  still 
possessed,  they  must  unite  their  forces  for  the  destruction 
of  the  invaders  of  their  soil.  Such  seem  to  have  been  the 
views  of  Philip  in  his  attempts  to  consolidate  the  Indian 
forces  previous  to  the  actual  breaking  out  of  the  war. 

The  following  eloquent  reply  of  Philip  to  Mr.  John 
Borden,  a  friend  of  Philip,  who  tried  to  dissuade  him 
from  the  contemplated  war,  copied  from  the  Foster  pa- 
pers, and  given  by  Gov.  Arnold,  shows  with  what  clear- 
ness his  mind  apprehended  the  state  of  affairs. 

"  The  English  who  came  first  to  this  country  were  but  a 
handful  of  people,  forlorn,  poor,  and  distressed.  My  father 
was  then  sachem.  He  relieved  their  distresses  in  the  most  kind 
and  hospitable  manner.  He  gave  them  land  to  build  and  plant 
upon.  He  did  all  in  his  power  to  serve  them.  Others  of  their 
countrymen  came  and  joined  them.  Their  numbers  rapidly 
increased.  My  father's  counsellors  became  uneasy  and  alarmed 
lest,  as  they  were  possessed  of  fire  arms,  which  was  not  the  case 
of  the  Indians,  they  should  finally  undertake  to  give  law  to  the 
Indians  and  take  from  them  their  country.  They  therefore  ad- 
vised him  to  destroy  them  before  they  should  become  too  strong 
and  it  should  be  too  late.  My  father  was  also  the  father  of 
the  English.  He  represented  to  his  counsellors  and  warriors 
that  the  English  knew  many  sciences  which  the  Indians  did  not, 
that  they  improved  and  cultivated  the  earth,  and  raised  cattle  and 
fruits,  and  that  there  was  sufficient  room  for  both  the  English 
and  the  Indians.  His  advice  prevailed.  They  concluded  to  give 
victuals  to  the  English.  They  flourished  and  increased.  Ex- 
perience taught  that  the  advice  of  my  lather's  counsellors  was 
right.  By  various  means  they  got  possession  of  a  great  part  of 
his  territory.  But  he  still  remained  their  friend  till  he  died. 
My  elder  brother  became  sachem.  They  pretended  to  suspect 
him  of  evil  designs  against  them.  He  was  seized  and  confined, 
and  thereby  thrown  into  sickness  and  died.  Soon  after  I  be- 
came sachem  they  disarmed  all  my  people.  They  tried  my 
people  by  their  own  laws,  and  assessed  damages  which  they 
could  not  pay.  Their  land  was  taken.  At  length  a  line  of  di- 
vision was  agreed  upon  between  the  English  and  my  people, 
and  I  myself  was  to  be  responsible.     Sometimes  the  cattle  of 


1663-67.]  king  Philip's  wak.  73 


the  English  would  come  into  the  com  fields  of  my  people,  for 
they  did  not  make  fences  like  the  English.  I  must  then  be 
seized  and  confined  till  I  sold  another  tract  of  my  country  for 
satisfaction  of  all  damages  and  costs.  Thus  tract  after  tract  is 
gone.  But  a  small  part  of  the  dominion  of  my  ancestors  remains. 
I  am  determined  not  to  live  till  I  have  no  country." 

Negotiations  between  Philip  arid  the  other  sachems 
were  commenced,  looking  to  a  union  of  the  different 
tribes,  with  the  intention  of  commencing  the  war  as  soon 
as  the  necessary  arrangements  could  be  effected.  The 
war  was  finally  commenced,  sooner  than  was  intended. 

The  first  blood  was  shed  on  the  24th  of  June,  1675, 
"when  eight  or  nine  of  the  English  were  slain  in  and 
about  Swansy."*  The  next  clay  other  troops  arrivedand 
the  whole  were  placed  under  command  of  Major  Savage, 
who  proceeded  to  the  Indian  country  intending  to  break 
up  the  headquarters  of  Philip  at  Mt.  Hope.  But  the  In- 
dians had  deserted  the  place,  leaving  the  heads  and 
hands  of  the  slaughtered  English  stuck  upon  poles  by 
the  wayside.  Philip  had  gone  over  to  Pocasset,  whither 
Church,  who  afterwards  so  distinguished  himself,  fol- 
lowed them.  To  prevent,  if  possible,  the  Narragansetts 
from  joining  the  forces  of  Philip,  commissioners  were  sent 
to  them,  and  the  Massachusetts  troops  followed  to  en- 
force the  terms  that  might  be  dictated.  They  found  the 
villages  of  Pomham  deserted.  He  had  joined  the  com- 
mon foe.  A  general  war  was  now  commenced,  for  a  de- 
tailed account  of  which  the  reader  is  referred  to  Hub- 
bard's Indian  Wars,  Church's  History  of  Philip's  War, 
etc.  Only  a  few  of  the  more  important  events  can  be 
noted  in  the  present  account.  Hubbard,  at  the  end  of 
his  narrative,  says  that  eighteen  houses  were  burned  at 
Providence,  June  23th,  1675.  and  on  the  29th  of  March 
following,  fifty-four  more.  Arnold  credits  the  latter 
but  doubts  the  former  statement. 

In  July,  1675,  Philip,  accompanied  by  Weetamo,  join- 
ed the  Nipmucks  who  had  also  taken  up  arms  against  the 
English.     Brookfield,  Mass.,  was  burnt.     Hatfield,  Had- 


*  Hubbard's  Narrative,  p.  59. 

7 


74  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK.  [1663-67. 

ley,  Deerfield,  Northfield  and  Springfield  were  attacked, 
and  many  of  the  inhabitants  killed  and  their  houses  de- 
stroyed. The  Narragansetts  received  and  gave  shelter 
to  the  hostile  Indians  in  violation  of  their  compulsory 
treat) ,  but  had  not  yet  taken  any  active  part  in  the  con- 
flict. It  was  feared  that  they  would  join  the  hostile  In- 
dians in  the  spring,  and  fhe  United  Colonies  resolved  to 
send  an  army  of  a  thousand  men  into  their  country. 
The  Narragansetts  were  ordered  to  give  up  Philip's  fol- 
lowers who  had  taken  refuge  among  them.  These  ap- 
pear to  have  been  chiefly  women  and  children.  The 
haughty  reply  of  Canonchet,  son  and  successor  of  Mian- 
ton  omi,  who  remembered  the  sad  fate  of  his  father  is 
worthy  of  record,  displaying  as  it  does  the  honorable  spirit 
of  the  brave  sachem :  "Not  a  Wampanoag,  nor  the  par- 
ing of  a  Wampanoag's  nail  shall  be  delivered  up."  Can- 
onchet, alias  Nanuntehoo,  "was  heir  to  all  his  father's 
pride  and  insolency,  as  well  as  of  his  malice  against  the 
English."  The  remark  needs  qualifying.  The  Narra- 
gansetts as  a  body,  and  especially  its  successive  sachems, 
had  ample  reasons  for  a  dislike  to  the  Massachusetts  col- 
ony. Their  friendship  for  the  colonists  of  Rhode  Island 
was  manifested  in  many  ways,  and  doubtless  would  have 
been  continued  indefinitely  but  for  the  many  unjust  and 
oppressive  acts  of  the  other  colonies,  which  had  led  them 
to  doubt  the  integrity  of  the  English  generally. 

The  reply  of  Canonchet  caused  all  future  attempts  at 
reconciliation  to  be  abandoned.  A  force  of  eleven  hun- 
dred and  thirty-five  men  was  raised,f  besides  volunteers 
that  joined  it  as  it  marched  through  Providence  and  this 
town.  The  whole  army  was  under  command  of  Gov. 
Winslow,  of  Plymouth.  Bull's  garrison  house  at  South 
Kingston  was  attacked  in  December,  and  fifteen  persons 
were  slain,  only  two  escaping. 

On  the  next  day,  (Dec.  19,)  the  army  were  on  the 
march  to  the  place  where  the  Indians  had  taken  refuge 
in  the   middle   of  a   swamp,    where   they   were  found 


*  Arnold,  i,  401. 


1663-67.]  POMHAM'S   WIGWAMS   BURNED.  75 

strongly  fortified.  Here  occurred  the  celebrated  "Swamp" 
battle,  which  has  been  so  minutely  described  by  Church, 
who  was  one  of  the  principal  actors  in  it,  and  others, 
that  it  need  not  be  related  in  detail.  Eighty  of  the  En- 
glish were  slain  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  wounded. 
Captains  Davenport,  Gardner,  Johnson,  Gallop  and  Mar- 
shall were  killed.  The  principal  part  of  those  wounded 
in  the  battle  were  afterwards  carried  to  Rhode  Island 
where  they  were  taken  care  of  until  the  greater  part  of 
them  recovered.  Eight  of  them  died  there.*  Hutchin- 
son further  states  that  when  they  left  the  fort  they  had 
about  210  dead  and  wounded.  They  left  eight  dead  in 
the  fort  and  brought  twelve  away  with  them.  Within 
the  enclosure  or  fort  were  some  five  hundred  Indian  wig- 
wams which  were  set  on  fire,  in  the  flames  of  which  per- 
ished not  less  than  three  hundred  of  the  sick  and  wound- 
ed, the  infant  and  aged.  The  entire  loss  of  the  Indians 
in  killed,  wounded  and  prisoners,  was  not  less  than  one 
thousand,  including  those  who  perished  in  the  burning 
wigwams.  This  was  the  principal  battle  of  the  war,  al 
though  afterward  there  were  several  skirmishes,  and 
many  towns  and  villages  were  burned. 

On  the  27th  of  December,  Capt.  Prentice  was  sent 
into  this  town,  where  he  burnt  nearly  a  hundred  of 
Pomham's  wigwams,  but  the  Indians  had  departed. 
Pomham  joined  his  fortunes  with  the  other  tribes,  and 
was  afterward  killed  near  Derlham,  Massachusetts,  in  an 
engagement.!  At  about  the  same  time  one  of  his  sons 
was  also  taken  prisoner,  who,  according  to  Hubbard, 
would  have  received  some  consideration  from  his  captors 
on  account  of  his  prepossessing  countenance,  "had  he  not 
belonged  to  so  bloody  and  barbarous  an  Indian  as  his 
father  was." 

The  injury  inflicted  upon  the  Indians  by  the  destruc- 
tion of  their  wigwams  was  fully  avenged  on  the  17th  of 
the  following  March,  when  a  party  of  the  natives  fell 
upon   the   town   and   utterly   destroyed   it.     Governor 


*  Hutchinson,  i,  301.        t  Judge  Potter. 


76 


HISTOEY   OF   WARWICK. 


[1663-67. 


Arnold  says  "  the  town   was    utterly  destroyed,    except 
one  house  built  of  stone,  which  could  not  be  destroyed." 


V     c3 


o    "»    a> 

mil* 

III  s  S  | 
IBB  g  3  -1 

S3    ,-.    « 


JS  S 


1  1  M 

111 

nftv      H  r*  § 

^  be 

The   Old   Stone   Castle,   a  cut  of  which   is    given   on   this 
page,  is  from  a  pencil  sketch,  Tuade  under  the  direction  of 


1663-67.]  DEATH   OF   JOHN   WICKES.  77 


persons  who  had  intimate  personal  recollections  of  it,  and  pro- 
nounced by  them  to  be  a  correct  representation  of  the  ancient 
structure.  John  Smith  was  a  stone  mason  by  trade,  which  ac- 
counts, in  part,  for  the  material  of  his  domicil.  He  was 
President  of  the  Colony  at  the  time  his  house  was  being  built. 
In  1652,  he  was  chosen  President  of  Providence  and  Warwick, 
the  other  two  towns,  Newport  and  Portsmouth,  having  with- 
drawn from  the  compact  and  set  up  for  themselves.  He  died 
in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1664,  being  at  the  time  Assistant 
for  Warwick.  Randall  Holden  was  chosen  to  fill  the  vacancy 
occasioned  by  his  death.  He  married,  I  think,  a  widow  Sweet, 
and  the  estate  went  into  the  Sweet  family,  thence  into  the  pos- 
session of  Thomas  Greene,  youngest  son  of  John  Greene, 
Senior.  The  decendauts  of  Thomas  Greene,  from  this  circum- 
stance, have  beeu  styled  the  "  Stone  Castle  Greenes." 
Thomas  Greene  purchased  a  dwelling  house  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  road,  and  in  1795,  had  the  old  house  demolished, 
which  he  afterwards  regretted.  The  materials  were  converted 
into  the  cellar  wal.s  of  the  dwelling  that  stands  near  the  s'.te 
of  the  old  castle,  and  the  walls  upon  the  farm.  It  stood  on 
the  north  side  of  the  road  leading  from  Old  Warwick  to  Appo- 
naug.  The  old  castle  was  doubtless  regarded  as  a  place  of 
safety  to  which  the  inhabitants  might  fly  in  times  of  danger. 
In  the  old  cemetery,  a  few  rods  from  the  house,  were  buried  in 
separate  graves  the  head  and  body  of  John  Wickes,  the  only 
person  in  this  town,  who  is  known  to  have  been  slain  in  the 
Indian  war,  thus  allowing  the  only  dwelling  in  town  that  sur- 
vived the  Indian  war,  and  the  only  man  that  was  killed  to  re- 
main in  close  proximity  for  upwaids  of  a  century.  The  estate 
is  now  owned  by  Mr.  George  Anthony. 

The  following  account  of  the  death  of  John  Wickes, 

is  taken  from  Updike's  Narraganset  Church  : 

"In  relation  to  his  death  there  is  this  tradition  :  That  on 
the  approach  of  danger,  when  garrisons  had  been  provided  and 
the  inhabitants  generally  had  repaired  to  them,  he  could  not  be 
persuaded  that  he  required  any  protection  against  the  natives. 
From  his  past  experience  of  their  uniform  kindness  and  good- 
will towards  him  personally,  he  was  slow  to  believe  himself  in 
danger,  and  to  the  oft-repeated  admonitions  of  his  friends  to 
be  more  careful  of  his  safety,  his  answer  was  that  he  had  no 
fears  of  injury  from  the  Indians — that  they  would  not  hurt 
him.  With  this  mistaken  confidence  in  their  fidelity,  he  ven- 
tured beyond  the  protection  of  the  garrisons;  and  going  at 
evening  into  the  woods  in  search  of  his  cows,  he  did  not 
return.  His  fate  was  first  known  to  his  friends  on  seeing  his 
head  set  upon  a  pole  near  his  own  dwelling  on  the  following 
This  they  immediately — and  before  venturing  in 


78  HISTORY   OF  WARWICK.  [1663-67. 


search  of  the  body — buried  near  the  stone  garrison  and  within 
a  few  rods  of  it.  The  body,  which  was  found  on  the  succeed- 
ing day,  was  interred  beside  the  head,  but  in  a  distinct  grave; 
and  two  little  hillocks,  which  mark  ihe  spot  are  still  shown  as 
the  grave  of  John  Wickes." 

His  dwelling  house  was  on  the  corner  leading  to  Rocky 
Point,  nearly  opposite  the  old  Quaker  Meeting  House.  It 
stood  a  short  distance  in  the  rear  of  the  present  residence  of 
Mr.  Thomas  Wickes  Gardiner.  It  was  torn  down  about  the  year 
1838.  Thomas  Wickes,  a  son  of  John,  Senior,  was  a  repre- 
sentative in  the  General  Assembly  for  several  years,  and  for 
more  than  twenty  consecutive  years  (1715-1738),  Assistant,  a 
position  corresponding  to  that  of  State  Senator  of  the  present 
day.  He  was  Town  Clerk  from  1712  to  his  death  in  1742,  with 
the  exception  of  the  year  1720.  His  descendants  are  numerous 
in  the  State.  One  of  the  Coweset  farms,  set  off  in  1684,  lying 
about  a  mile  east  of  Rocky  Hill  School  House,  still  remains  in 
possession  of  his  descendants,  the  present  occupant  being  Mr. 
Oliver  A.  Wickes. 

April  4,  1676.  Canonchet,  the  Narragansett  sachem, 
was  surprised  and  taken  near  Pawtucket  or  Blackstone 
river,  where  he  and  about  thirty  of  his  men  had  gone  to 
get  seed  corn  to  plant  their  grounds.  When  first  dis- 
covered he  sought  safety  in  flight,  and  was  so  hard 
pressed  that  he  was  obliged  to  throw  off  his  blanket, 
which  had  been  presented  to  him  in  Boston  in  October, 
and  finally  his  belt  of  peage.  He  then  took  to  the  water, 
and  accidentally  "  wet  his  gun,  when,  as  he  afterwards 
said,  his  heart  and  bowels  turned  within  him  so  that  lie 
became  void  of  strength  as  a  rotten  stick."  Robert  Stan- 
ton, the  first  Englishman  that  came  up  to  him,  being 
about  twenty-one  years  old,  the  sachem  looked  disdain- 
fully upon  his  youthful  face  and  saic'  in  broken  English, 
"  You  much'  child,  no  understand  matters  of  war;  let  your 
brother  or  your  chief  come,  him  will  I  answer."  He  was 
offered  his  life  if  he  would  persuade  the  Narragan setts 
to  submit,  which  he  rejected,  and  said  he  wished  "  to  hear 
no  more  about  it."  He  was  told  that  he  must  die  then, 
to  which  he  bravely  replied,  "  1  like  it  well.  I  shall  die 
before  my  heart  is  soft,  or  I  have  said  anything  unworthy 
of  myself.'1''  *     Arnold  says,  "  To  insure  the   fidelity   of 

*  Hubbard. 


1663-67.]  DEATH   OF   KING   PHILIP.  79 

the  friendly  tribes  by  committing  them  to  a  deed  that 
would  forever  deter  the  Narragansetts  from  seeking  their 
alliance,  it.  was  arranged  that  each  of  them  should  take 
a  part  in  his  execution.  Accordingly  the  Pequots  shot 
him,  the  Mohegans  cut  off  his  head  and  quartered  him, 
and  the  Niantics,  who  had  joined  the  English,  burned 
his  body  and  sent  his  head  as  "  a  token  of  love  and  loy- 
alty to  the  Commissioners  at  Hartford.*' 

Canonchet  was  the  last  great  sachem  of  the  Narra- 
gansetts and  the  chief  supporter  of  Phillip,  who  was 
now  left  comparatively  alone.  If  there  was  any  more 
barbarous  treatment  of  a  prisoner  of  war  in  the  annals 
of  savage  or  civilized  warfare  upon  this  continent  than 
that  meted  out  to  this  brave  enemy,  by  a  professedly 
civilized  and  Christian  people,  we  have  failed  to  notice  it. 

July  3.  "The  English  army  marched  to  the  south,  and  sur- 
prised them  in  a  cedar  swamp  near  Warwick.  A  great 
slaughter  ensued.  Magnus,  the  old  queen  of  the  Narragan- 
setts, a  sister  of  Ninigret,  was  taken,  and  with  ninety  other 
captives  was  put  to  the  sword.  One  hundred  and  seventy-one 
Indians  fell  in  this  massacre,  without  the  loss  of  a  single  man 
of  the  English.  Thence  they  scoured  the  country  between 
Providence  and  Warwick,  killing  many  more." 

"Capt.  Church  was  commissioned  by  Gov.  Winslow  to  pro- 
ceed with  a  volunteer  force  of  two  hundred  men,  chiefly  In- 
dians, to  attack  Philip  in  his  retreats  near  Mount  Hope.  For 
several  days  they  pursued  the  Indians  from  place  to  place,  kill- 
ing many  and  taking  a  large  number  of  prisoners,  among 
whom  were  Philip's  wife  and  only  son." 

Philip  was  subsequently  pursued  into  a  swamp  near 
Mt.  Hope,  where  he  was  shot  through  the  heart  by 
Alderman,  an  Indian,  whose  brother  Philip  had  indig- 
nantly slain  because  he  had  counselled  him  to  sue  for 
peace.  Thus  perished  Metacomet,  who  had  declared 
that  he  would  not  live  until  he  had  no  country.  The 
same  barbarous  treatment  that  had  been  practiced  upon 
the  dead  body  ot  Canonchet,  was  followed  upon  that  of 
Philip.  The  head  was  sent  to  Plymouth,  where  it  re- 
mained set  up  on  a  pole  for  twenty  years  ;  one  hand  was 
sent  to  Boston  as  a  trophy,  and  the  other  was  given  to 
Alderman,  who  exhibited  it  for  money.     The  body  was 


80  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1663-67. 


quartered  and  hung  upon  four  trees  as  a  vivid  illustra- 
tion of  the  barbarity  of  the  age.  Philip's  chief  coun- 
sellor, Anawon,  escaped  from  the  swamp  with  most  of 
Philip's  followers,  but  was  a  few  days  after  captured  by 
Capt.  Church,  who  sent  him  alive  to  Plymouth,  where 
he  was  shot.  Most  of  the  other  captives  who  were  at 
all  conspicuous  for  their  braveiy  or  position  met  a  simi- 
lar fate.  Quinapin,  a  cousin  of  Canonchet,  and  next  in 
command  to  him  in  the  great  swamp  fight,  with  his 
brother  was  tried  at  Newport  by  a  council  of  war,  and 
shot.  The  young  Metacomet,  son  of  Philip,  with  many 
other  captives,  was  sent  to  Spain  and  the  West  Indies, 
where  they  were  sold  as  slaves. 

The  war  was  now  at  an  end.  It  had  been  the  most 
fearful  conflict  that  had  ever  visited  the  colonies,  and 
such  an  one  as  was  not  to  be  repeated  until  a  century 
had  rolled  away.  No  further  resistance  of  any  extent 
on  the  part  of  the  Indians  was  made.  But  the  besom 
of  destruction  had  swept  over  the  fair  plantation  of 
Warwick.  Not  only  had  the  homes  of  its  inhabitants 
been  laid  waste,  but  their  bridges  and  other  improve- 
ments had  been  all  destroyed,  and  they  themselves  forced 
into  exile  for  security.  During  the  war  the}7-  had  found 
a  temporary  home  at  Newport,  where  they  were  kindly 
received  and  permitted  to  hold  their  town  meetings  for 
the  choice  of  deputies  and  jurors,  as  formerly. 


1667-1776.]         RETURN   OF   THE   SETTLERS.  81 


CHAPTER  V. 

From  the  close  of  the  Indian  War  to  the  Declaration  of  Ameri- 
can Independence,  July  4,  1776. 

The  war  being  now  over  the  people  of  Warwick  in 
the  spring  of  1H77  returned  to  their  desolated  homes, 
and  with  hearts  undaunted  commenced  at  once  to  repair 
their  wasted  heritage,  and  provide  for  themelves  and 
those  dependent  upon  them.  In  a  temporal  point  of 
view,  the  conflict,  notwithstanding  the  destruction  of 
their  homes  and  improvements,  was  of  real  benefit  to 
them.  The  great  hindrance  to  their  comfort,  their 
security  and  progress  had  been  essentially  removed. 
The  balance  of  power  between  them  and  the 
Indians  was  now  in  their  favor.  The  Indians 
were  now  timid  and  suppliant,  rather  than  bold 
and  threatening.  Pumham  had  been  taken  out  of  their 
way,  and  his  followers,  what  few  of  them  remained, 
were  no  longer  to  be  feared.  The  broad  domains  of  the 
settlers  were  comparatively  without  encumbrance.  Sadly, 
as  we  must  regard  the  causes  that  led  to  this  superior 
position  attained  by  the  war,  on  the  part  of  our  towns- 
men, we  cannot  regard  them  otherwise  than  as  resulting  in 
their  great  benefit.  That  they  had  so  little  to  do  in 
bringing  about  the  result  is  certainly  no  matter  of  regret. 

Two  of  their  number,  who  were  of  the  original 
twelve,  John  Wickes  and  Richard  Carder,  the  latter 
having  died  during  their  sojourn  at  Newport,  were  no 
longer  with  them,  and  before  the  year  closed,  another 
and  in  some  sense  their  chief,  was  called  away.  Samuel 
Gorton  died  between  the   27th  of  November   and  the 


82  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK.  [1667-1776. 


10th  of  December,  1677.  The  following  tribute  to  his 
memory  by  Gov.  Arnold,  is  taken  from  the  first  volume 
of  his  able  history  of  Rhode  Island : 

"The  death  of  Samuel  Gorton,  the  founder  of  Warwick, 
which  occurred  at  this  time,  should  not  be  passed  over  in 
silence.  He  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  men  that  ever 
lived.  His  career  furnishes  an  apt  illustration  of  the  radical- 
ism in  action,  which  may  spring  from  ultra-consorvatism  in 
theory.  The  turbulence  of  his  earlier  history  was  the  result  of 
a  disregard  for  existing  law,  because  it  was  not  based  upon 
what  he  held  to  be  the  only  legitimate  source  ot  power — the 
assent  of  the  supreme  authority  of  England.  He  denied  the 
right  of  the  people  to  self-government,  and  contended  for  his 
views  with  the  vigor  of  an  unrivalled  intellect,  and  the 
strength  of  an  ungoverned  passion.  But  when  this  point  was 
conceded,  by  the  securing  of  a  patent,  no  man  was  more  sub- 
missive to  delegated  law.  His  astuteness  of  mind,  aud  his 
Biblical  learning,  made  him  a  formidable  opponent  of  the 
Puritan  hierarchy,  while  his  ardent  love  of  liberty,  when  it 
was  once  guaranteed,  caused  him  to  embrace  with  fervor  the 
principles  that  gave  origin  to  Khode  Island.  He  lived  to  a 
'great  age.'  The  time  of  his  birth  is  not  certainly  known,  and 
the  precise  day  of  his  death  is  equally  obscure.  The  exact 
spot,  'says  his  biographer,'  where  his  ashes  repose,  is  marked 
by  no  pious  stone  or  monumental  marble.  Yet  if  without 
these  honors,  may  it  at  least  ever  be  their  privilege  to  sleep 
beneath  the  green  sward  of  a  free  State." 

The  original  purchase  of  Warwick  from  Miantinomi 
by  the  twelve  settlers,  was  bounded  on  the  north  by  a 
line  running  due  west  from  Copessnetuxet  cove  twenty 
miles  and  on  the  south  by  a  similar  line  beginning  at  the 
extreme  point  of  Warwick  neck.  In  breadth  the  terri- 
tory was  about  four  and  three-fourths  miles,  the  whole 
containing  about  ninety-five  square  miles  or  more  than 
60,000  acres.  Subsequently  the  town  purchased  through 
its  appointed  agents  the  strip  of  laud,  known  as  Poto- 
womet  neck.  '  The  portion  of  territory  lying  in  the 
northeast  part  of  the  present  limits  of  the  town,  and 
north  of  the  original  purchase,  was  claimed  by  various 
parties,  including  the  town  of  Warwick.  We  do  not 
propose  to  enter  into  the  details  of  this  controversy, 
which  was  long  and  tedious,  continuing  about  fifty 
years,  and  was  settled  finally  by  the  Legislature  in  1696, 


1667-1776.]  DIVISION   OF   LANDS.  83 

making  the  Pawtuxet  river  the  northern  boundary  as  it 
exists  at  present.  The  difficulty  grew  oat  of  the  differ- 
ent constructions  put  upon  the  deeds  of  purchasers  from 
the  original  tenants  of  the  soil,  and  from  the  vague  and 
indefinite  limits  assigned  in  those  deeds.  The  contro- 
versy occasioned  much  bitter  feeling  among  the  parties 
interested,  and  probably  the  life  of  one  of  its  most  active 
participators.  William  Harris  was  one  of  the  Pawtuxet 
proprietors,  and  a  persistent  and  formidable  opponent  to 
the  Warwick  claimants.  He  went  to  England  four 
times  during  the  progress  of  the  matter,  the  last  time 
the  ship  in  which  he  sailed  was  taken  by  a  Barbary  Cor- 
sair, and  both  he  and  the  rest  of  the  passengers  and 
crew  were  sold  as  slaves  in  the  public  market  at  Algiers. 
He  remained  in  bondage  for  more  than  a  year,  when  a 
ransom  of  twelve  hundred  dollars  was  paid  and  he  was 
set  at  liberty.  He  finally  arrived  in  London,  sick  and 
exhausted,  and  died  three  days  afterwards. 

William  Harris  and  Thomas  Harris  were  brothers  and  settled 
in  Providence  about  the  time  of  Eoger  Williams,  or  perhaps  a 
year  later,  William  is  the  seventh  named  in  Roger  Williams' 
first  deed.  They  had  previously  lived  in  Salem.  His  will 
which  he  executed  previous  to  his  last  disastrous  voyage  is 
dated  December  4,  1678.  He  had  four  children,  viz.:  Andrew, 
who  married  Mary  Tew  of  Newport;  Toleration,  who  was  killed 
during  the  Indian  war  in  1675;  Mary  who  married  Thomas 
Borden,  and  Howlong  who  married  Arthur  Fenner.  Thomas 
Harris  had  the  following  children:  Thomas,  who  married  Phebe 
Brown;  Richard,  Nicholas,  William,  Henry,  Eleathan  who 
married  Nathaniel  Erown,  Joab,  Amity,  who  married  a  Morse, 
Mary  who  married  a  Bernon,  and  Job. 

DIVISION   OF    WARWICK   LANDS. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  settlement  of  the  town 
in  1642,  Warwick  Neck  was  selected  as  the  most  appro- 
priate part  of  the  town  for  the  immediate  abode  of  the 
settlers,  and  small  portions  of  territory  were  annexed  to 
each  as  a  house  lot,  upon  condition  that  dwelling  houses 
should  be  built  upon  them  within  six  months  subsequent 


84  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1667-1776. 

to  the  date  of  such  grants.  To  these  home  lots  were 
added  six  acres  of  what  became  known  as  "the  Four 
miles  Commons"  or  the  "Four  miles  Town,"  which  ex- 
tended from  "the  head  of  the  Neck"  to  Apponaug. 
Various  grants  were  subsequently  made  of  portions  of 
this  territory  to  individuals,  and  in  some  cases  large 
tracts  were  set  off  and  apportioned  to  the  several  inhabit- 
ants. Previous  to  the  breaking  out  of  Philip's  war,  from 
motives  of  prudence  they  had  dwelt  together  at  Old 
Warwick,  where  they  could  better  protect  themselves  from 
the  jealousy  of  the  natives,  and  but  little  progress  had  been 
made  in  settling  the  regions  beyond  Apponaug.  After 
the  war  had  terminated  a  spirit  of  enterprise  seemed  to 
take  possession  of  them,  and  they  regarded  themselves  as 
now  able  to  go  up  and  possess  the  whole  land.  Before 
the  close  of  the  century  nearly  all  the  territory  west  of 
the  Four  mile  Town  was  distributed  among  them.  The 
limits  assigned  to  this  volume  will  not  allow  me  to  enter 
into  all  the  details  of  these  several  divisions,  if  indeed  the 
absence  of  records  and  plats  in  the  Clerk's  office,  pertaining 
to  these  matters  did  not  prevent  it.  From  a  somewhat 
careful  and  prolonged  study  of  the  material  that  I  have 
been  able  to  obtain  I  have  concluded  that  only  an  im- 
perfect account  of  them  can  be  obtained  at  the  present 
time.  Those  divisions  made  within  the  present  town  of 
Coventry  which  was  set  off  in  1741  are  here  wholly 
omitted,  others  are  merely  referred  to  by  extracts  from 
the  proprietors'  records. 

The  diagram  on  the  opposite  page  is  a  reduced  copy 
of  an  ancient  plat  of  the  Coweset  farms  now  in  possession 
of  Mr.  William  Warner,  of  Old  Warwick.  On  the  mar- 
gin are  the  following  statements :  "  A  plat  of  the  farms 
in  the  township  of  Cowesett  as  they  were  laid  out  by 
order  of  the  proprietors  thereof,  the  beginning  of  the  year 
16S5  by  John  Smith.  The  lower  small  devisions  are 
lotts  laid  out  formerly,  which  lyeth  In  forme  as  they  are 
delemated  [designated  ?]  on  the  plat,  but  as  to  their  de- 
vision  in  width  is  here  omitted,  but  Length,  Right.     A 


1667-1776.] 


DIVISION   OF   LANDS. 


85 


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FRANCIS  WESTON, DRAWN  BY 

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— 

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RICHARD  CARDER 


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8 


RICHARD  WATERMAN 


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JOHN   W1CKES 


RANDALL  HOULDOH 


6 

THEMARK    OF 

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PHILLIP  SWEET 
THE  MARK   OF 
JOHN    I.S.  SMITH 


17 


SAWUELGORTON 


JOHNSMITH 
DRAWN  BY 

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JOHN  GREEN  SEItfR 


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ROBERT  POTTER 


JOHNSMITH  TO 
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NAMIYEIIZASJVILLIAM 


JOHN  WARNER 


STEPHEN  ARNOLD'S 
LAND 


86  HISTORY  OF  "WARWICK.  [1667-1776. 

true  copy  taken  from  the  originall  plat  this  26th  of  March, 
1716,  by  me  John  Warner."  * 

This  tract  i<  also  known  as  the  "  Seventeen  Farms  " 
and  included  the  territory  bounded  on  the  north  by  the 
present  road  leading  from  Apponaug  to  Centreville,  on 
the  east  by  Apponaug  and  Coweset  Bay,  on  the  south 
by  Greenwich  and  on  the  west  b}T  the  present  town  of 
Coventry,  with  the  exception  of  1500  acres  in  the  north- 
east corner,  which  had  previously  been  mortgaged  to 
Stephen  Arnold  and  was  held  by  him  at  the  time  the 
plat  was  made. 

The  lots  of  the  middle  division  were  assigned  as  fol- 
lows:  The  1st  to  Rufus  Barton ;  2d  Ezekiel  Holliman; 
3d  Francis  Weston  ;  4th  John  Smith  ;  5th  Randall  H ol- 
den :  6th  John  Greene,  senior;  7th  John  Smith — Sweet's; 
8th  John  Smith  ;  9th  Henry  Townsend ;  10th  John 
Wickes;  11th  Stukely  Westcott ;  12th  John  Greene,  Jr; 
13th  Richard  Carder ;  14th  John  Warner ,  loth  Richard 
Waterman;  16th  Robert  Potter;  17th  Samuel  Gorton. 
Those  of  the  other  divisions  are  given  in  the  diagram. 

The  lots  of  the  larger  division  contained  about  240 
acres  each. 

The  following  extracts  from  the  proprietors'  records, 
previous  to  the  year  1685,  refer  to  these  tracts  : 

Feb.  15, 1672.  "  We  ye  Purchasers  of  Mishaomet  beeing  met 
doe  order  and  agree  to  go  to  a  division  of  30  acre  lots  more  or 
less  according  to  ye  map,  yt  is  to  say  ye  four  first  Lots  is  to 
have  an  acre  apis  Layed  out  to  them  on  ye  front  to  ye  see 
against  the  lotts;  ye  first  Lot  is  granted  to  Mr.  Gorton;  ye  sec- 
ond is  granted  to  Capt.  Holden;  ye  third  is  granted  to  Capt, 
John  Greene ;  and  ye  rest  according  to  lot  as  they  shall  be  drawn ; 
and  all  ye  rest  of  ye  lotts  to  have  all  ye  land  fronting  on  them 
to  ye  see  according  to  ye  map ;  and   all  ye  highways  which  are 

*  John  Warner  was  tbe  clerk  of  the  proprietors,  and  a  practical  sur- 
veyor. Aporrion  of  the  proprietors'  records  of  this  period  with  original 
plats  made  by  him  of  different  sections  of  the  town,  by  order  of  the 
proprietors,  as  also  certified  copies  of  former  plars,  besides  other  valu- 
able documents  pertaining  to  the  early  history  of  the  town,  are  now  in 
possession  of  his  great  grandson  William  Warner,  Esq.,  of  Old  War- 
wick, to  whom  the  writer  is  under  special  obligation  for  their  use  in 
the  preparation  of  these  pages.  Scarcely  any  of  the  old  plats  are  in 
the  possession  of  the  town. 


1667-1776.]  DIVISION   OF   LANDS.  87 

in  ye  map  to  bee  according  to  ye  map  which  are  [two  words 
abbreviated  and  unintelligible]  ye  lotes;  and  2  high-wayes,  one 
next  ye  see  on  ye  front  of  all  ye  lots  and  on  through  ye  midell 
of  yesayd  lotts;  ye  lots  to  bee  160  polles  in  length  or  there- 
abouts and  for  ye  breadth  according  to  what  proportion  they 
will  bear;  all  ye  said  lots  to  be  equally  laid  out;  all  ye  highways 
to  bee  six  pole  wied.  Also  it  is  agreed  upon  by  us  yt  ye  land 
on  ye  east  side  of  ye  highway  of  ye  four  first  lotts  is  reserved 
to  ye  seventeen  purchasers  to  bee  divided  equally  amongst 
them  by  lot;  only  Mr.  Gorton  is  to  have  his  17  part  layed  out  to 
his  land  already  granted  to  him,  and  to  which  wee  doe  all  set 
our  hands." 

The  above  signed  by  fifteen  of  the  purchasers. 
The  following  is  under  date  of  November  27,  1672, 
and  signed  by  fourteen  purchasers  : 

"  We  the  purchasers  doe  agree  and  determine  to  lay  out  for 
a  plantation,  beginning  at  Apponake  brooke,  where  the  foot 
path  goes  over  the  brooke,  bounding  on  the  sea  on  the  front, 
and  extends  itself e  unto  ye  south  lyne  of  ye  grand  Purchase; 
and  from  each  bounder  aforesaid,  dew  west  upp  in  the  coun- 
try unto  ve  west  end  of  ye  Grand  purchase;  and  we  doe  apoint 
that  fronting  on  the  sea  aforesaid  bee  laid  out  seventeen  snares 
or  lotts  and  to  each  purchase  share.  And  that  each  purchaser 
hath  liberty  too  make  three  inhabitants  besides  himself  out  of 

his  proportion,  but  not  to  exceed,  which  will  be  sixty-eight 

in  all,  and  that  highways  and  other  conveniences,"  etc. 

The  purchasers  being  met  this  10th  day  of  December,  1677, 
and  two  of  their  trustees  being  taken  away  by  death  viz. ,  Mr. 
Samuel  Gorton,  sener  and  Mr  John  Wickes,  sener,  they  have 
unanimously  chosen  Mr.  Samuel  Gorton  and  Mr.  Benjamin 
Barton  trustees  to  supply  their  places;  and  for  as  much  as 
Capt.  Bandall  Houlden  and  Capt.  John  Greene  are  chosen  our 
Agents  or  Aturney  to  manage  our  appeall  maid  to  his  majesty, 
wee  doe  give  power  to  them  to  morgage  fifteen  hundred  acres 
of  Land  on  the  north  sid  of  the  plantation  of  Coweeset.  begin- 
ning at  the  see  side  at  Aponake,  unto  Mr.  Stephen  Arnold  of 
Pawtuxet  for  one  hundred  pounds  in  silver  money,  after  the 
Bate  of  eight  per  sent  for  the  end  premised. 

By  the  Purchasers, 

John  Potteu,  Clerk." 

THE   WECOCHACONET    FARMS. 

The  first  act  of  the  purchasers  in  reference  to  these 
farms  appears  to  have  been  under  the  date  of  March  25, 


88  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK.  [16(57-1776. 

1673,  when  4200  acres  were  set  apart  for  ten  of  their 
number,  one  half  of  which  tract  subsequently  became 
known  as  the  "Wecochaconet  farms  "  and  the  other  half 
as  the  "  Natick  lands ;"  under  the  above  date  is  the  fol- 
lowing record  : 

"  For  ye  farms  fronting  on  ye  towne  commons  as  they  are 
this  day  determined;  from  Warwick  township  at  ye  west  end 
thereof  to  be  laid  out  westward  and  a  square  as  near  as  may  be. 
It  is  further  agreed  that  Mr.  Samuel  Gorton,  Senior,  Mr.  Ran- 
dall Holden,  Stukely  Westcott,  John  Potter  and  Elyza  Collins 
for  one  of  his  shares,  shall  have  the  other  2100  acres  laid  out 
to  them  [words  illegible]  Coesset  Township  and  Pawtuxet  river 
aforesaid,  fronting. on  Warwick  Township:  thence  due  west, 
and  this  to  be  their  full  proportion  for  their  shares  in  ye  towne 
lands,  videlesett:  live  shares  and  they  are  to  enter  and  possess 
at  their  own  charge  and  thereby  are  excused  of  any  other 
charge  with  the  rest  in  the  tract  of  farm  lands." 


&■ 


The  Wecochaconet  farms  or  Wecochankuyack  as  the 
name  is  spelt  on  a  copy  of  the  original  plat  made  by 
John  Warner  bearing  date  the  2 1st  of  December,  1721, 
were  five  in  number  and  were  surveyed  and  platted  by 
Joseph  Carder.  The  plat  bears  the  date  of  May  14, 
1692.  These  farms  were  sometimes  referred  to  as  the 
four  hundred  acre  farms.  The  easterly  line  began  at 
Apponaug  and  ran  in  a  straight  course  until  it  came  to  a 
point  on  the  Pawtuxet  river  near  where  the  Shanticut 
brook  empties  into  said  river.  The  line  had  it  been  pro- 
duced would  have  touched  the  mouth  of  the  Shanticut 
In  the  bend  of  the  Pawtuxet  river  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Shanticut  there  appears  to  be  a  narrow'  strip  of  land 
along  the  west  bank  of  the  river  that  was  not  included, 
or  if  included  not  divided.  This  easterly  line  was  also 
the  western  bounds  of  Old  Warwick.  The  southerly 
line  was  the  road  leading  from  Apponaug  to  Centreville 
and  formed  the  division  line  between  them  and  the  Cow- 
eset  farms.  The  Pawtuxet  river  formed  the  north 
boundary  with  the  possible  exception  above  referred  to 
until  it  reached  the  forks  of  the  river,  at  River  Point, 
when  the  south  branch  continued  the  boundary  for  a 
short  distance.     Included  in  the  plat  between  the  forks 


1667-1776.]  DIVISION   OF   LANDS.  89 

of  the  river  or  west  side  and  bordering  upon  it  was  a 
tract  of  seventeen  acres,  and  twelve  rods,  which  was  left 
undivided.  The  westerly  line,  according  to  the  Proprie- 
tors' order  of  March  25,  1673,  was  the  south  branch  of 
the  Pawtuxet  river.  But  when  the  tract  was  surveyed 
and  platted  in  1692,  the  west  line  in  order  to  include 
only  2100  acres  left  the  south  branch  of  the  river  near 
the  present  upper  village  of  River  Point.  There  was 
consequently  about  one  hundred  acres  not  included  in 
this  grant  lying  between  its  west  line  and  the  river. 
These  five  farms  were  assigned  as  follows :  the  1st  bor- 
dering on  the  road  leading  from  Apponaug  to  Centre- 
ville  its  whole  distance,  to  Samuel  Gorton ;  the  2d  to 
John  Potter ;  the  3d  to  John  Smith ;  the  4th  to  Stukely 
Westcott  and  the  5th,  which  had  the  river  boundary  for 
several  miles,  to  Randall  Holden. 

THE  NATICK  LANDS. 

The  grant  of  these  lands  was  made  also  on  March  25, 
1673.  The  grantees  were  John  Greene,  Senior,  Richard 
Carder,  John  Warner,  Benjamin  Barton  and  John 
Wickes,  Jr.,  in  behalf  of  Henry  Townsend,  and  the 
tract  received  was  2,100  acres.  The  district  assigned 
them  was  bounded  easterly  on  Moshanticut  brook, 
southerly  on  Pawtuxet  river,  northerly  on  the  north  line 
of  Warwick  purchase,  and  as  far  westerly  as  was  neces- 
sary to  complete  the  purchase.  The  tract  was  subse- 
quently divided  into  separate  shares.  Further  reference 
is  made  to  this  grant  in  connection  with  the  account  of 
Natick  on  a  subsequent  page. 

On  the  same  day  the  grants  of  the  Wecochaconet  and 
Natick  tracts  were  made,  "a  further  division  of  a  portion 
of  the  undivided  lands  lying  in  the  present  town  of 
Coventry,  was  made  in  favor  of  seven  of  the  proprietors, 
which  became  known  as  the  "  Seven  Men's  Farms." 
Some  difficulty  in  reference  to  the  boundaries  of  those 
several  grants  having  occurred,  the  following  agree- 
ment and  decision  were  made  : 


90  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1667-1776. 


"Whereas,  there  hath  of  late  a  difference  arisen  hetween  us 
whose  names  are  hereunto  subscribed,  about  the   departure   of 
the  dividing  line  betwixt  Coweset  township,  ?o  called,  and  the 
farms  of  Wecochaconet.  Natiek,   and  the  Seven  Men's  Farms, 
so  called.     And  we  all  of  us  considering  the  inconvenience  of 
the   abovesaid  premises,  therefore  in  regard  to  a  loving  agree- 
ment and  good   neighborhood  for  the  future,  and  hindering 
chargeable  and  vexatious  suits  which  may   arise,  have  unani- 
mously agreed  as  folio weth:    That  all  the   divisions  and  lines 
run  by  John  Smith.  Joseph  Carder  and  Robert  Hazard,   sur- 
veyors in  said  plantation,  shall  stand  and  remain  unalterable  so 
far  as  the  upper  part  of  the  great   nieaoow  above  the  saw  mill, 
so  called,  and  already  laid  out.     And  further  we  do  agree  to 
make  choice  of  either  three  or  five  judicious  men  to   consider 
and  determine  the  departure  of  the  abovesaid  lines  in  contro- 
versy, and  in   case  there  be   alleration   of  the  line  from  the 
place  where  it  was  already  begun,  then  restitution  to   be  made 
to  the  grieved  persons,  acre  for  acre,   to  the   westward   of  the 
great  meadow  abovesaid,  and  the  line  of  the  said  restitution,  if 
any,  be  to  run  parallel  with  the  north   and   south   lines   of  the 
purchase  to  the  head  thereof.     And  the  above  arbitration  to  be 
finished  between  this   and  the   twenty-third   day  of  October, 
next  ensuing.     And  further  we  do  agree  to  enter  into  sufficient 
bonds  to  stand  to  the  award  of  the  above   arbitration,   and  in 
testimony  hereof  we  have  hereunto  set  our  hands  this  31st  day 
of  August,  1706. 

John  Watei  man,  Randall  Rice, 

Thomas  Collins,  Benjamin  Barton, 

The  mark  of  James  Greene, 

Jonathan  +  Hill,  Randall  Holden, 

Thomas  Wickes,  Richard  Greene, 

Robert  Potter,   '  in  behalf  of  his  father, 

Refer  Greene,  son  of  Maior  John  Greene, 

James  Greene,  deceased,  John  Warner, 

Jolin  Rice,  Thomas  Greene, 

Jabez  Greene,  James  Carder, 

The  mark  of  Peter  Greene, 

Mark  +  Roberts,  Philip  Sweet, 

Samuel  Stafford,  in  behalf  of         Job  Greene,  for 

Gideon  Freeborne,  John  Carr, 

John  Greene,  son  of  James  Briggs. 

James  Greene,  deceased, 

The  foregoing  persons  gave  bonds  severalty  in  the 
sum  of  £500  to  abide  by  the  decision  of  the  arbitrators. 
Capt.  Joseph  Jenks,  Capt,  Samuel  Wilkinson,  and  Mr. 
Gideon  Crawford,  who,  after  examining  the  premises  and 


1667-1776.]  HIGHWAY   ESTABLISHED.  91 


hearing  the  parties  interested,  confirmed  the  lines  run  by- 
John  Smith. 

The  highway  running  from  Apponaug  to  Centre ville 
was  the  subject  of  some  contention  as  early  as  1734. 
On  the  first  of  September  of  that  year  the  town  ap- 
pointed a  committee,  consisting  of  Moses  Lippitt,  Capt. 
Thomas  Rice  and  Jonathan  Whitman,  to  "  inspect  "  the 
same,  and  "  to  agree  with  Philip  Arnold,  Samuel  Greene 
and  all  others  that  border  on  said  way,  to  exchange  land 
with  them  to  accommodate  said  way."  The  committee, 
on  the  24th  of  November,  1735,  reported  that  they  had 
attended  to  the  work  assigned  them,  and  presented  a 
plat  of  the  road,  which  "  was  accepted  and  put  to 
record."  The  decision  was  not  satisfactory  to  all  the 
parties  interested,  and  on  the  8th  of  August,  1738,  it 
was  "  voted  that  ye  Town  Council  forthwith  summon  a 
jury  of  12  or  more  men  to  revise  the  highway  that  leads 
from  Apponage  between  ye  farms  of  Wecochaconet  and 
Coweset,  so  far  west  as  the  head  of  Coweset  farms  ex- 
tends, and  in  case  they  can  find  no  old  way  to  run  out  a 
new  one."  This  jury  made  their  report  Oct.  18, 1738, 
which  is  as  follows: 

"We  the  subscribers  being  appointed  by  the  Town  Council, 
being  appointed  as  jurors  to  Inspect  into  ye  Premises,  and  to 
Revise  ye  bounds  or  a  highway  between  ye  lands  of  Wecocha- 
conet and  Coweset,  according  to  ye  former  bounds  and  plat, 
and  by  what  Information  we  could  find,  we  find  that  a  line 
from  ye  red  oak  tree  that  stands  oposit  from  Philip  Arnolds 
northwest  corner  on  the  north  side  of  ye  highway  that  already 
laid  out  by  Moses  Lippit,  Thomas  Rice  and  John  Whitman,  is 
six  degrees  and  scant  half,  north,  which  we  conclude  to  be  ye 
north  side  of  said  way  that  leads  to  ye  head  of  said  farms." 

Among  the  old  lists  of  proprietors  or  early  inhabitants 
of  the  town,  is  one  entitled,  "A  List  of  ye  Draft  of  ye 
Last  Devision  Drawn  May  ye  21st,  1748."  This  list 
was  subsequently  copied,  (but  at  what  date  does  not 
appear,)  and  the  owners  of  the  lots  at  the  time  it  was 
copied  is  also  given.  The  copy  was  probably  made  by 
John  Warner,  then  clerk  of  the  proprietors.  It  is  given 
here  in  order  to  preserve  the  names  of  the  inhabitants 


92 


HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


[1667-1776. 


of  the  town  at  that  time, 
of  ye  o  Riginol  Rights  - 
the  fore  mils  Commons  : ;' 

"  A  list  of  the  originell  propri- 
etors' names  of  the  township 
of  Warwicke: 

39 
41 
43 
28 
09 
35 
21 
11 
31 
26 
47 
8 

50 
46 
18 
19 


The  copy  is  entitled,  "A  list 
and  ve  now  oners  of 


Samuel  Gorton, 

John  Wickes, 

Kandall  Holden, 

Richard  Carder, 

Robert  Potter, 

John  Greene,  Sen'r, 

John  Warner, 

francis  Weston, 

Richard  Waterman, 

John  More, 

Rufus  Barton, 

Henry  townsend, 

Christopher  Unthank, 

Ezekiel  Holliman, 

John  Lippitt,  Sen'r, 

Richard  Townsend, 

Peter  Greene,  32 

Tho.  Thornicraft,  16 

James  Greene,  23 

tho.  Greene,  49 

Stukely  Westcott,  22 

John  Smith,  6 

John  Smith,  14 

Nicholas  hart,  7 

Walter  Todd,  10 

John  Cooke,  25 
John  Greene,  Jr., 

Robert  Westcott,  42 

John  Sweet,  27 

John  Townsend,  30 

Peter  Buzigut,  24 

John  Downing,  36 

]Edward  Inman,  13 

James  Sweet,  2 

Thomas  Errington,  44 

Amos  Westcott,  4 

John  Hay  don,  33 


"  The  names  of  the  now  pro- 
prietors, as  near  as  I  can  find 
out: 

Sam'l  &  Hezekiah  Gorton, 

John  Wickes, 

Randall  Holden, 

John  Carder, 

John  Warner, 

Peter  Greene, 

John  Warner,. 

Amos  Stafford, 

J 'hn Warner  &  Randall  Hold'n, 

Job  Greene, 

Rufus  &  Benjamin  Barton, 

John  Holden  &  Benj.  Greene, 

John  Holden, 

John  Warner, 

Moses  Lippitt, 

John  Low,  Junior, 

William,    Elisha,    &    Barlo 

Greene, 
Amos    Lockwood   &   Samuell 

peirce, 
Pones  Greene, 
Benjamin  Greene, 
Zorobabel  Westcott, 
Thankful      Collins,      Robert 

Westgate,  &  tippitts, 
Nathaniel  Greene's  children, 
John  Wilkes  &  Geo.  Westgate, 
John  Knowles, 
Stephen  Low, 
Sam'll  Greene, 

Abraham  &  Amos  Lockwood, 
Moses.  Lippitt, 
John  Low  &  John  Stafford, 
John  Warner, 

John  Low  &  William  Utter, 
John  Greene,  son  of  Richard 

Greene, 
Richard  Greene, 
Benjamin  Greene, 
Benony  Waterman, 
Amos  Stafford, 


1667-1776.]                        NEW   ENTERPRISES.                                   93 

Mrs.  Holmes, 

12 

George  Hazzard,  Jr., 

William  burton, 

40 

Benj^  Gorton  cfc  Wm.  Greene, 

Thomas  Hedger,  Sen'r, 

20 

John  Carder, 

Joseph  Howard, 

45 

John  Budlong, 

William  Eaton, 

20 

Anthony  Low, 

Peter  Buzigut  tenement, 

48 

John  Rice, 

Tho:  Scranton,  Sen'r, 

5 

Amos  Stafford. 

John  Coles, 

34 

John  Lippitt  &  Ben:  Greene, 

John  Goi'ton, 

3 

Edward  Gorton, 

Ben :  Gorton, 

17 

Tho:  Stafford, 

Francis  Gizbon, 

38 

Geo.  Hazard,  Jr., 

the  Mill  owners, 

51 

Tho:  Stafford, 

the  tenement  on  Conimicut,  32    Philip,   Stephen,   &  Ephraim 

Arnold, 

Walter  Todd,  second  grant,  15  Moses  Lippitt  &  Joseph  Staf- 
ford." 

The  spirit  of  enterprise  on  the  part  of  the  inhabitants 
of  this  town  after  the  close  of  the  Indian  war,  mani- 
fested itself  not  only  in  dividing  the  lands  of  the  Grand 
Purchase  among  themselves,  but  in  developing  their  re- 
sources. The  water  power  of  the  rivers  Was  brought 
into  requisition  to  furnish  them  lumber;  grist  mills  were 
established  in  various  places,  and  there  were  rude  be- 
ginnings of  manufacturing  various  articles  needful  for 
the  comfort  of  the  people.  The  old  saw  mill  on  Tuska- 
tucket  brook  failed  to  furnish  the  amount  of  lumber 
demanded  by  the  increasing  necessities  of  the  people, 
and  the  timber  lands  in  its  vicinity  were  insufficient  for 
their  purposes.  Farther  up  in  "  the  woods,"  as  the  in- 
habitants were  wont  to  term  the  present  location  of  the 
thriving  manufacturing  villages,  there  was  ample  water 
power  and  a  larger  and  better  supply  of  lumber  material. 
Hence  their  interest  naturally  drew  them  away  from  the 
quietude  of  Shawomet,  and  led  them  to  establish  saw 
mills  on  the  banks  of  the  Pawtuxet.  A  grant  was  made 
at  a  meeting  of  the  Proprietors  of  the  town  on  the  18th 
of  January,  1677,  to  Henry  Wood,  John  Smith,  John 
Greene  and  John  Warner,  as  an  encouragement  to  them 
to  "  build  a  house  at  our  plantation  of  Coweset,  and  a 
saw  mill  on  ye  fresh  river  in  ye  township,  being  ye  south 
branch  yt  runs  towards  Pawtuxet.'"  The  grant  con- 
sisted of  one  acre  for  the  mill  site,  tw7o  acres  for  the   in- 


94  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK.  [1667-1776. 

dividual  use  of  each  of  those  persons,  adjoining  ;  and  one 
hundred  acres  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  for  the  use 
of  the  compaivy.  Certain  conditions  were  annexed  to 
the  grant  of  easy  fulfilment,  and  liberty  was  granted 
to  cut  the  standing  timber  over  a  large  space  of  territory 
in  the  vicinity.  Provisions  were  m;  de  that  when  the 
lands  on  the  west  side  should  be  divided  among  the  in- 
habitants, "  so  much  shall  be  abated  out  of  their  pro- 
portion as  ye  said  one  hundred  acres  is  out  of  their  share 
or  shares." 

The  sense  of  security  resulting  from  the  enfeebled 
condition  of  the  natives  gradually  increased  by  acces- 
sions to  their  own  number  with  the  prospect  of  still 
greater  security  as  time  advanced.*  And  during  this 
time  the  natives  had  been  steadily  decreasing  in  number. 
It  is  a  law  in  political  economy  that,  "  industry  will  be 
applied  to  capital  as  every  man  enjoys  the  advantages 
of  his  labor  and  his  capital."!  If  he  is  in  doubt  whether 
his  labor  will  be  rewarded,  his  efforts  will  be  feeble.  If 
he  feels  secure  in  his  possessions  and  is  reasonably  certain 
that  the  expenditure  of  toil  will  result  to  his  advantage 
there  is  inducement  to  labor  freely.  Heretofore  the 
settlers  were  in  doubt  in  these  matters.  They  were 
harrassed  upon  every  side,  and  there  was  little  encour- 
agement to  extend  their  efforts  beyond  the  immediate 
precincts  of  their  homes,  at  Shawomet. 

The  relation  of  supply  and  demand  in  any  community 
is  such  that  the  demand  for  any  article  usually  pro- 
duces it.  An  enlightened  community  soon  find  that  all 
its  members  are  not  best  employed  in  any  given  production, 


*  Population  of  Warwick  from  1708  to  the  present  time : 

Year 1708.   1730.   1755.   1774.   1S00.   1820.  1840.   1SC0.   1870.   1875. 

Pop.  ...480      1,178     1,911    2,438    2,532    3,643    (5,72(5    8,016    10,453   11,614 

Coventry  was  setoff  in  1741,  and  has  now  a  population  of  4,5*0,  which 
gives  a  total  of  16,194,  as  the  population  of  t'.ie  territory  formerly  in- 
cluded in  the  town  of  Warwick. 

The  number  of  families  in  this  town  in  1774  was  353.  The  names  of 
the  men  at  the  head  of  these  several  families,  may  be  found  in  the 
census  of  that  date,  arranged  and  published  in  1858,  by  Hon.  John  R. 
Bartlctt. 

t  Wavland's  Political  Economy. 


1667-1776.]        FULLING   MILL  AT   APPOXAUG.  95 

and  hence  arises  the  principle  of  a  division  of  labor. 
Some  will  till  the  soil,  others  will  grind  the  corn  ;  some 
engage  in  one  department  of  toil  and  others  in  another, 
according  as  the  one  or  the  other  form  or  kind  of  labor 
promises  them  the  greatest  reward,  or  is  best  suited  to 
their  inclinations.  If  a  community  is  destitute  of  the 
kind  of  labor  it  needs,  *and  there  is  sufficient  demand  for 
it,  there  is  usually  some  one  to  supply  it.  Hence  we 
find,  at  an  early  period  in  the  history  of  the  town,  when 
the  supply  of  wearing  apparel  of  the  quality  de- 
manded was  insufficient  from  the  ordinary  methods  of 
production  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  inhabitants,  a 
skilled  laborer  from  abroad  found  it  tor  his  advantage  to 
come  among  them,  and  the  inhabitants  deemed  it  for 
their  advantage  to  receive  him.  This  led  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  Fulling  Mill  at  the  village  of  Apponaug. 
The  following  are  the  acts  of  the  Proprietors  in  refer- 
ence to  this  matter : 

April  28,  1696.  "Moses  Lippit,  James  Greene,  James  Carder 
and  Eandall  Holdeu  are  appointed  to  go  with  Mr.  Micarter  to 
Aponake,  and  to  view  a  place  desired  by  him  to  set  up  a  fulling 
mill ;  and  to  see  what  accommodation  they  judge  may  be  al- 
lowed to  it,  and  so  make  report  to  the  town  at  the  next  meet- 
ing." 

June  6th,  1696.  "These  presents  declare  and  testify  that 
John  Micarter,  of  the  town  of  Providence  in  the  colony  of 
Rhode  Island  and  Providence  Plantations,  having  made  appli- 
cation by  way  of  petition  to  this  town  of  Warwick,  desiring 
leave  and  liberty  for  the  building  and  setting  up  a  fulling  mil] 
upon  a  small  river  at  the  place  called  and  known  by  the  name 
of  Aponake,  also,  some  convenient  accommodations  for  the 
abode  and  residence  of  himself  and  family.  The  town  having 
considered  the  premises  have  granted  his  request  allwavs  with 
this  proviso,  that  the  said  fulling  mill  shall  be  finished  aud 
completed,  fit  to.  do  the  town  service  at  or  before  the  first  day 
of  May,  which  will  be  in  the  year  1697.  And  that  the  said 
John  Micarter  shall  always  be  ready  to  do  the  towne's  work 
upon  as  reasonable  terms  as  they  can  have  it  done  elsewhere 
in  States  about  us,  upon  those  considerations  the  town  hath 
granted  him  one  acre  and  a  half  of  land,  situate  and  being  be- 
tween two  wading  places,  the  uppermost  being  the  foot-way, 
the  lowermost  the  horse-way;  as  also,  allowed  liberty  for 
digging  a  trench   at  the   entrance   of  Kekamewit   brooke   to 


96  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK.  [1667-1776. 


raise  it  sufficiently,  which  done  will  make  a  small  island,  which 
he  may  also  make  use  of ;  and  hath  also  liberty  without  and 
besides  the  bounds  appointed  him  to  "dry  cloth  upon  the 
common;  also  privileges  upon  the  common  for  fuel  or  fire 
wood  necessary,  and  privileges  for  ten  head  of  cattle  to  feed 
on  the  common;  moreover  seventeen  acres  of  land  or  there- 
abouts, eastward  from  Eobert  Potter's  farm,  ranging  easterly 
towards  Coweset  pond,"  &c.  'Notwithstanding  the  town  do 
reserve  the  liberty  to  themselves  if  they  see  cause  to  set  up  a 
town  mill  upon  the  same  river,"  &c.  '"Said  John  Micarter 
hath  libertv  to  raise  Coweset  pond  two  feet  if  occasion  be  for 
it,"  &c. 

Aug.  3,  1741.  The  west  end  of  the  town  was  set  oft 
and  incorporated  into  a  township  to  be  known  as  Cov- 
entry. The  following  is  the  report  of  Daniel  Abbott. 
John  Potter  and  Thomas  Spencer,  the  committee  ap- 
pointed to  make  the  division;  which  report  was  accepted : 

"We  having  met  in  said  Warwick  on  the  24th  day  of 
August,  last  past,  and  proceeded  to  run  said  line,  beginning  at 
the  westermost  part  of  the  Coweset  Farms,  in  said  Warwick, 
and  from  thence  ran  one  line  south  seven  degrees  west,  until 
we  came  to  the  north  bounds  of  East  Greenwich  and  the  south 
bounds  of  said  Warwick,  where  we  made  a  large  heap  of 
stones,  making  several  heaps  of  stones  in  the  said  lines,  and 
marking  several  trees  in  said  line,  with  the  letter  W,  on  the 
east,  and  the  letter  C,  on  the  west;  then  beginning  at  the  first 
mentioned  bounds  and  run  north  seven  degrees  east,  until  we 
came  to  the  north  bounds  of  said  Warwick  and  the  south 
bounds  of  Providence,  making  a  large  heap  of  stones  on  the 
east  end  of  a  rock,  in  said  bounds,  and  made  several  heaps  of 
stones  and  marked  several  trees  in  said  line,  as  aforesaid;  the 
which  we  now  make  as  our  return  for  the  fixed  and  certain 
bounds  between  the  aforesaid  town  of  Warwick  and  the  afore- 
said town  of  Coventry;  and  that  the  said  town  of  Coventry  be 
bounded  east  on  the  town  of  Warwick,  south  on  East  and 
West  Greenwich,  west  on  the  line  that  divides  the  Colon}-  of 
Rhode  Island,  &c,  and  the  Colony  of  Connecticut,  and  north 
on  the  south  bounds  of  the  towns  of  Providence  and  Scituate." 

By  this  act  sixty  and  three-fifths  square  miles  of  terri- 
tory were  cut  off  from  the  town  of  Warwick  to  form  the 
new  town,  leaving  forty-three  and  one-tenth  square 
miles.     These  are  the  present  areas  of  the  two  towns. 

William  Greene  of  this  town  having  served  as  Deputy 
Governor  for  the  three  preceding  years  was  elected  in 


1667-1776.]  KENT   COUNTY   ORGANIZED.  97 

1748  to  the  office  of  Governor,  holding  the  office  nearly 
eleven  years,  between  1743  and  1758,  dying  in  office  on 
January  23d  of  the  latter  year,  aged  61  years.  He  was 
the  grandson  of  Deputy  Governor  John  Greene.  Of  the 
governors  under  the  royal  charter  he  was  the  eighth  who 
had  died  in  office,  two  of  them  having  deceased  the  same 
year.  Their  names  were  Benedict  Arnold,  June  20th, 
1678 ;  William  Coddington,  Nov.  1st,  1678  ;  John  Cran- 
ston, March  12th,  1680  ;  Caleb  Carr,  Dec.  17th,  1695  ; 
Samuel  Cranston,  April  26th,  1727 ;  William  Wanton, 
Dec.  1733  ;  John  Wanton,  July  5th,  1740  :  Wm.  Greene, 
January  23d,  1758. 

During  the  period  of  Gov.  Greene's  administration 
the  continent  of  Europe  was  in  a  state  of  the  greatest 
commotion,  occasioned  by  the  Spanish  war  and  its  com- 
plications. "  The  whole  continent  was  in  arms,  and  bat- 
tles by  sea  and  by  land  as  fruitless  as  they  were  ceaseless, 
presented  a  scene  of  blood  that  had  never  been  equalled 
in  modern  times. "  France  declared  war  against  England, 
having  espoused  the  cause  of  Charles  Edward,  and  Eng- 
land now  issued  a  counter  proclamation  against  France. 
The  war  was  announced  to  Gov.  Greene  by  the  Duke  of 
Newcastle  *  and  preparations  were  made  for  putting  the 
colony  in  a  state  of  defence. 

The  General  Assembly,  held  at  Newport,  the  second 
Monday  in  June,  1750,  incorporated  the  towns  of  East 
Greenwich,  Warwick,  West  Greenwich  and  Coventrv 
into  a  county,  to  be  called  the  county  of  Kent.f  They 
previously  formed  a  part  of  Providence  county.  The 
act  provides  that  "  a  court  house  of  the  dimensions  or 
near  the  dimensions  of  the  court  house  in  Providence,  be 
built  in  the  town  of  East  Greenwich,  by  a  free  contribu- 
tion oi  the  inhabitants  of  said  county  of  Kent"  At  the 
session  of  the  Assembly  in  February,  1752-3,  represent- 
ation being  made  that  the  court  house  was  built  agree- 
ably to  the  provisions  of  the  former  Assembly,  but  was 
yet  unfinished  within,  and  the  inhabitants  felt  themselves 

*  E.  I.  Col.  Rec.  v.  p.  80.         f  E.  I.  Col.  Kec.  v.  301. 
9 


98  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK.  [1667-1776. 

unable  to  finish  it,  on  application  a  lottery  was  granted 
them  "  as  the  easiest  method  to  raise  money  sufficient  to 
finish  it,  and  for  erecting  a  fence  around  the  jail."  * 

The  colonists  from  the  time  of  the  first  settlement  of 
the  country  had  been  ardently  attached  to  liberty  and 
extremely  jealous  of  any  invasion  of  either  their  political 
or  religious  rights.  They  had  been  induced  to  leave 
their  native  land  in  the  hope  that  here  they  would  be  re- 
lieved from  oppression  and  arbitrary  power.  They  still 
maintained  their  allegiance  to  the  crown  of  Great  Britain 
and  cherished  sentiments  of  strong  attachment  to  the  mo- 
ther country.  The  long  and  oppressive  wars  with  the  In- 
dians and  the  French  had  seriously  retarded  their  pro- 
gress for  a  season,  and  the  severe  restrictions  placed  by 
Great  Britain  on  their  trade  had  been  borne  with  con- 
siderable impatience.  After  the  conquest  of  Canada  had 
freed  them  from  some  apprehensions,  new  complications 
awaited  them  from  another  quarter,  which  eventually 
resulted  in  the  war  of  the  revolution.  It  was  claimed 
that  the  wars  which  now  were  carried  on  by  Great 
Britain  in  defence  of  her  American  colonies  had  greatly 
added  to  her  national  debt  and  consequently  largely  in- 
creased the  burdens  of  her  subjects,  and  that  in  view  of 
this  she  might  reasonable  indemnify  herself  for  the  ex- 
penses incurred  by  a  tax  upon  the  colonies.  This  reason 
was  met  by  the  colonists  by  declaring  that  the  expenses 

*  The  grauting  of  lotteries  by  the  General  Assembly  had  become 
so  common  that  in  December,  1760,  an  act  was  passed  empowering  the 
directors  of  them  to  call  special  courts,  in  case  they  desired  it.  They 
were  granted  to  build  bridges,  dams,  pave  streets,  erect  meetinghouses, 
parsonages,  repair  roads,  school  houses  &c,  and  one  in  1774  to 
Abial  Brown  to  buy  new  furniture  for  his  house  which  had  been  des- 
troyed by  fire.  In  1764,  one  for  the  sum  of  £106  lawful  money  to  re- 
pair the  biidge  at  the  Fulling  Mill,  and  Messrs.  Elisha  Greene,  jr., 
Thomas  Arnold  and  Gideon  Arnold  were  appointed  directors  of  the 
same.  In  1772,  one  to  raise  §500  to  rebuild  "the  town  wharf  in  War- 
wick harbor,"  and  Capt.  Benjamin  Gorton,  Capt.  Thomas  Greene  and 
Capt.  John  Lippitt  were  appointed  its  managers.  One  in  1774,  to 
William  Holden,  to  repair  a  dam  across  the  Pawtuxet  river,  in  con- 
nection with  which  he  had  a  grist  mill.  The  upper  part  of  the  dam 
had  been  carried  away  with  a  flood  the  winter  before.  The  grant  was 
for  £50,  and  Capt.  William  Potter  and  Mr.  John  Wickes,  son  of  Robert, 
both  of  Warwick,  and  Mr.  Anthony  Hehlen  of  East  Greenwich,  were 
appointed  its  directors.     See  R.  I.  Col.  Rec.  for  these  years. 


1667-1776.]  WAR  APPROACHING.  99 


had  been  incurred  by  Great  Britain  because  the  colonies 
were  valuable  to  her;  that  she  was  interested  in  their 
defence  from  the  great  benefit,  present  and  prospective, 
resulting  from  the  monopoly  of  their  commerce,  and  that 
their  own  exertions  and  expenses  had  been  greater  than 
hers,  in  proportion  to  their  ability. 

In  1764,  the  celebrated  stamp  act  was  passed,  laying  a 
duty  on  all  paper  used  for  instruments  of  writing  as  deeds, 
notes,  &c,  and  declaring  all  such  writings  on  unstamped 
material  to  be  null  and  void.  *  A  duty  on  glass,  lead, 
paints  and  paper,  and  an  import  duty  of  three  pence  a 
pound  on  tea  was  proposed.  On  the,  arrival  of  the  news 
cf  the  stamp  act  in  Boston,  the  people  were  much  ex- 
cited, "  the  bells  were  muffled  and  rung  a  funeral  peal." 
Rhode  Island  shared  in  the  general  discontent.  In  July, 
1769,  "the  British  armed  sloop  Liberty,  Capt.  William 
Reid,  cruising  in  Long  Island  Sound  and  Narragansett 
Bay  in  search  of  contraband  traders,  had  needlessly  an- 
noyed all  the  coasting  craft  that  came  m  her  way.  Two 
Connecticut  vessels,  a  brig  and  a  sloop,  were  brought 
into  Newport  on  suspicion  of  smuggling.  An  altercation 
ensued  between  the  captain  of  the  brig  and  some  of  the 
Liberty's  crew,  in  which  the  former  was  maltreated  and 
his  boat  fired  upon  from  the  vessel.  The  same  evening 
the  people  obliged  Reid,  while  on  the  wharf,  to  order  all 
his  men,  except  the  first  officer,  to  come  on  shore  and 
answer  for  their  conduct.  A  party  then  boarded  the 
Liberty,  sent  the  officers  on  shore,  cut  the  cable  and 
grounded  the  sloop  at  the  Point.  There  they  cut  away 
the  mast  and  scuttled  the  vessel,  and  then  carried  her 
boats  to  the  upper  end  of  the  town  and  burnt  them. 
This  was  the  first  overt  act  of  violence  offered  to  the 
British  authorities  in  America,  f  The  two  prizes  escaped. 
This  was  followed  by  various  acts  of  resistance  of  minor 
importance,  all  of  which  tended  to  the  same  result  that 
eventually  transpired."' 

*  Not  only  upon   the    old    wills  of  this   period,  but  on  some  of  the 
proprietors'  records,  and  even  the  plats  before  me  are  seen  this  re- 
minder of  British  taxation. 
.  ii,  p.  297. 


100  HISTORY   OF  WARWICK.  [1667-1776. 


The  approach  of  the  centennial  of  American  Indepen- 
dence revives  in  all  quarters  of  the  iand  the  various  in- 
cidents and  events  connected  with  the  great  struggle. 
A  perfect  rainy  season  of  claims  to  notice,  animated  by  a 
patriotic  spirit  and  local  pride,  and  stimulated  by  local 
traditions  is  upon  the  land  and  will  continue  for  the  year 
to  come.  It  matters  but  little  in  what  particular  spot 
the  struggle  began,  where  the  first  blood  was  shed,  or 
who  were  the  principal  actors — little  in  comparison  with 
the  results  of  that  struggle.  Yet  as  matters  of  history, 
such  minor  events  become  interesting  and  will  always  be 
cherished  by  a  liberty-loving  people.  At  a  recent  cele- 
bration at  East  Westminster,  Vt,  a  claim  was  made  that 
the  first  blood  of  the  Revolution  was  shed  within  its 
limits,  on  the  13th  of  March,  1775,  when  William  French 
and  Daniel  Houghton  were  shot  by  Tories,  in  the  Court- 
House,  and  thus  secured  a  monument  erected  to  their 
memory  by  the  State.     This  monument  bears  the  names 

•  •  • 

of  the  pioto-martyrs  and  also  the  following  unique  epitaph 
copied  from  the  headstone  of  William  French  : 

"Here  William  French  his  body  lies 
For  murder  his  blood  for  vengeance  cries; 
King  George  the  Third  his  Tory  crew 
That  with  a  bawl  his  bead  shot  threw; 
For  Liberty  and  his  Country's  good 
He  lost  his  life,  his  dearest  blood. " 

Whether  this  was  the  first  patriotic  blood  that  flowed 
in  immediate  connection  with  the  revolutionary  war,  I  am 
not  able  to  say.  It  is  certainly  in  order  for  any  one  to 
dispute  it  and  set  up  a  better  claim. 

For  several  years  previous  to  the  actual  outbreak  of 
the  American  revolution,  much  trouble  had  been 
occasioned  by  an  illicit  trade  carried  on  by  vessels  along 
the  coast,  which  induced  the  Commissioners  of  Customs 
to  place  armed  vessels  at  different  points  to  prevent  the 
smuggling  of  goods  into  the  several  ports.  Among  these 
vessels  thus  posted  was  the  British  armed  schooner  Gaspee, 
of  eight  guns,  commanded  by  Lieut.  Duddingston,  which 
was  accompanied  by  another  called  the  Beaver.  Dud- 
dingston had  seized  twelve  hogsheads  of  rum  and  some 


1667-177<3.]       DESTRUCTION    OF   THE   GASPEE.  101 


sugar  which  belonged  to  Jacob  Greene  &  Co.,  which 
were  on  board  a  sloop  bound  for  Greenwich  as  one  ac- 
count has  it,  but  which  was  more  likely  bound  for  Ap- 
ponaug,  where  the  Greenes  had  their  storehouse  and 
where  they  received  their  coal  and  black  sand  for  their 
anchor  forge  in  Coventry.  It  was  soon  after  this  affair 
that  the  destruction  of  the  Gaspee  took  place  on  the 
Warwick  coast  and  the  first  Tory  blood  shed  in  connec- 
tion with  the  revolutionary  war,  the  details  of  which  we 
quote  from  the  statement  made  in  1839  by  Col.  Ephraim 
Bowen,  who  was  concerned  in  the  affair  and  was  probably 
the  last  survivor  of  the  gallant  little  band. 

"  In  the  year  1772,  the  British  Government  had  stationed  at 
Newport,  Rhode  Island,  a  sloop  of  war,  with  her  tender,  the 
scdiooner  called  the  Gaspee,  of  eight  guns,  commanded  by 
William  Duddingston,  a  lieutenant  in  the  British  navy,  for  the 
purpose  of  preventing  the  clandestine  landing  of  articles  sub- 
ject to  the  payment  of  duty.  The  captain  of  this  schooner 
made  it  his  practice  to  stop  and  board  all  vessels  entering  or 
leaving  the  ports  of  Rhode  Isjand,  or  leaving  Newport  for 
Providence.*  On  the  Kith  day  of  June,  1772,  Capt  Thomas 
Lindsey  left  Newport,  in  his  packet,  for  Providence,  about 
noon,  with  the  wind  at  north;  and  soon  after  the  Gaspee  was 
under  sail  in  pursuit  of  Lindsey,  and  continued  the  chase  as  far 
as  Namcut  Point,  which  runs  off  from  the  farm  in  Warwick, 
about  seven  miles  below  Providence,  and  is  now  owned  by  Mr. 
John  B.  Francis,  our  late  governor.  Lindsey  was  standing 
easterly,  with  the  tide  on  ebb,  about  two  hours,  when  he  hove 
about  at  the  end  of  Namcut  Point,  and  stood  to  the  westward 
and  Duddingston,  in  close  chase,  changed  his  course  and  ran  on 
the  Point  near  its  end  and  grounded.  Lindsey  continued  on 
his  course  up  the  river  and  arrived  at  Providence  about  sunset, 
when  he  immediately  informed  Mr.  John  Brown,  one  of  our 
first  and  most  respectable  merchants,  of  the  situation  of  the 
Gaspee.      He  immediately  concluded  that  she  would  remain 

*  Dea.  Pardon  Spencer  relates  an  anecdote  of  one  of  the  fishermen 
living  on  the  Pawcatuck  river  about  this  time.  It  appears  that  the 
fisherman  with  his  "smack"  ventured  down  the  river  and  was  over- 
hauled hy  one  of  the  guard  boats  of  a  war  vessel  stationed  near  its 
mouth.  After  being  detained  awhile,  the  fisherman  was  released,  but 
not  until  his  patriotism  and  indignation  had  reached  a  considerable 
height.  On  departing  he  exclaimed: — "  Only  let  me  catch  that  man- 
o'-war  up  the  Pawcatuck  river  and  we'll  see  what  will  become  other." 
It  did  not  occur  to  him,  that  a  "  rnan-of-war"  might  possibly  find 
other  difficulties  in  navigating  the  Pawcatuck  than  those  he  had  in 
mind. 

*9 


102  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1667-1776. 


immovable  till  after  midnight,  and  that  now  an  opportunity- 
offered  of  putting  an  end  to  the  trouble  and  vexation  she  daily 
caused.  Mr.  Brown  immediately  resolved  on  her  destruction, 
and  he  forthwith  directed  one  of  his  trusty  shipmasters  to  col- 
lect eight  of  the  largest  long  boats  in  the  harbor,  with  five  oars 
each,  to  have  the  oars  and  oar  locks  muffled  to  prevent  noise, 
and  to  place  them  at  Fenner's  wharf,  directly  opposite  the 
dwelling  of  Mr.  James  Sabin,  who  kept  a  house  of  board  and 
entertainment  for  gentlemen,  being  the  same  house  purchased 
a  few  years  later  by  Welcome  Arnold,  one  of  our  enterprising 
merchants,  and  is  now  owned  by,  and  is  the  residence  of  Col. 
Richard  J.  Arnold,  his  son. 

About  the  time  of  the  shutting  of  the  shops,  soon  after  sun- 
set, a  man  passed  along  the  Main  street,  beating  a  drum  and 
informing  the  inhabitants  of  the  fact,  that  the  Gaspee  was 
aground  on  Namcut  Point,  and  would  not  float  off  until  three 
o'clock  the  next  morning,  and  inviting  those  persons  who  felt 
a  disposition  to  go  and  destroy  that  troublesome  vessel,  to 
repair  in  the  evening  to  Mr.  James  Sabin's  house.  About  9 
o'clock  I  took  my  father's  gun  and  my  powder  horn  and  bullets 
and  went  to  Mr.  Sabin's  house,  and  found  the  south-east  room 
full  of  people,  when  I  loaded  my  gun,  and  all  remained  there 
till  about  10  o'clock,  some  casting  bullets  in  the  kitchen  and 
others  making  arrangements  for  departure;  when  orders  were 
given  to  cross  the  street  to  Fenner's  wharf  and  embark,  which 
soon  took  place,  and  a  sea  captain  acted  as  steersman  of  each 
boat,  of  whom  I  recollect  Capt.  Abraham  Whipple,  Capt.  John 
B.  Hopkins  (with  whom  I  embarked),  and  Capt.  Benjamin 
Dunn.  A  line  from  right  to  left  was  soon  formed,  with  Capt. 
Whipple  on  the  right,  and  Captain  Hopkins  on  the  right  of 
the  left  wing.  The  party  thus  proceeded  till  within  about 
sixty  yards  of  the  Gaspee,  when  a  sentinel  hailed,  "  Who  comes 
there?"  No  answer.  He  hailed  again  and  no  answer.  In 
about  a  minute  Duddingston  mounted  the  starboard  gunwale  in 
his  shirt  and  hailed,  "Who  comes  there?  "  No  answer.  He 
hailed  again,  when  Capt.  Whipple  answered  as  follows:  "  I  am 
the  sheriff  of  the  count}'  of  Kent  *  *  *  ;  I  have  got  a  warrant 
to  apprehend  you  *  *  *  ;  so  surrender  *  *  *  ."  1  took  my  seat 
on  the  main  thwart  near  the  larboard  row-lock,  with  my  gun 
by  my  right  side  and  facing  forwards.  As  soon  as  Duddiugston 
began  to  hail,  Joseph  Bucklin,  who  was  standing  on  the  main 
thwart  said  to  me,  "  Fph,  reach  me  your  gun,  I  can  kill  that 
fellow?"  I  reached  it  to  him  accordingly,  when,  during  Capt. 
Whipple's  replying,  Bucklin  fired  and  Duddiugston  fell,  and 
Bucklin  exclaimed  :  "  1  have  killed  the  rascal  !  "  In  less  than 
a  minute  after  Capt.  Whipple's  answer,  the  boats  were  along- 
side of  the  Gaspee,  and  she  was  boarded  without  opposition. 
The  men  on  deck  retreated  below,  as  Duddingston  entered  the 


1667-1776.]  THE    GASPEE   PARTY.  103 


cabin.  As  it  was  discovered  that  he  was  wounded,  John  Maw 
ney,  who  had  for  two  or  three  years  been  studying  physic  and 
surgery,  was  ordered  to  go  into  the  cabin  and  dress  Dudding- 
ston's  wound  and  I  was  directed  to  assist  him.  On  examination 
it  was  found  that  the  ball  took  effect  about  five  inches  directly  be- 
low the  navel.  Duddingston  called  for  Mr.  Dickinson  to  produce 
bandages  and  other  necessaries,  for  dressing  the  wound,  and 
when  finished,  orders  were  given  to  the  schooner's  company  to 
collect  iheir  clothing  and  every  thing  that  belonged  to  them, 
and  put  them  into  the  boats,  as  all  of  them  were  to  be  sent 
ashore.  All  were  soon  collected  and  put  on  board  the  boats, 
including  one  of  our  boats.  They  departed  and  landed  Dud- 
dingston at  the  old  still-house  wharf  at  Pawtuxet,  and  put  the 
chief  into  the  house  of  Joseph  Ehodes.*  Soon  after  all  the 
party  were  ordered  to  depart,  leaving  one  boat  for  the  leaders 
of  the  expedition,  who  soon  set  the  vessel  on  fire,  which  con- 
sumed her  to  the  water's  edge. 

The  names  of  the  most  conspicuous  of  the  party  are,  Mr. 
John  Brown,  Capt.  Abraham  Whipple,f  John  B.Hopkins,  Ben- 
jamin Dunn,  and  five  others  whose  names  I  have  forgotten,  and 
John  Mawney,  Benjamin  Page,  Joseph  Bucklin  and  Turpin 
Smith,  my  youthful  companions,  all  of  whom  are  dead,  I  believe 
ever}'  man  of  the  party  excepting  myself ;  and  my  age  is  eighty- 
six,  this  twenty-ninth  day  of  August,  eighteen  hundred  and 
thirty-nine.  " 

The  bold  enterprise  excited  much  interest  and  the 
news  spread  like  a  prairie  fire  in  all  directions.  A  court 
of  inquky  was  instituted,  and  it  was  proposed  to  send  the 
offenders  to  England  for  trial,  if  thev  could  be  caught. 
But  like  the  tea  party  of  Boston  harbor,  the  secret  was 
kept  as  closely  as  those  of  a  Freemason's  Lodge  until  it 
was  too  late  to  punish  the  offenders.  It  undoubtedly 
tended  to  hasten  the  separation  of  the  colonies  from  the 
mother  country  and  bring  on  the  storm  that  was  soon  to 
break  forth  in  fury  over  the  land. 

*  Judge  William  Carder,  of  Pawtuxet,  writes  me  that  the  Old  Still 
House  wharf  was  situated  on  what  is  now  known  as  "Still  House 
Cove  "  on  the  Cranston  side.  That  Joseph  Rhodes  lived  on  Still  House 
Lane,  now  Ocean  street,  about  twenty  rods  westerly  of  the  old  Still 
House  and  wharf,  and  was  found  drowned  in  one  of  the  tanks  in  said 
Still  bouse,  several  years  after  the  destruction  of  the  Gaspee. 

t  Subsequently  Capt.  Wallace  of  his  majesty's  frigate,  Rose,  wrote 
to  Whipple  as  follows:  "You,  Abraham  W7hipple,  on  the  10th  of  June, 
1772,  burned  his  majesty's  vessel,  the  Gaspee,  and  I  will  bang  you  at 
the  yard  arm:  James  Wallace."  To  which  Whipple  replied,' more 
curt  than  courteous,  "To  Sir  James  Wallace,  Sir.— Always  catch  a 
man  before  ye  hang  him,  Abraham  Whipple."  Arnold,  vol.  ii.  p.  351, 
note. 


104  HISTOEY   OF   WARWICK.  [1667-1776. 

In  September,  1774,  quite  a  serious  affair,  that  as- 
sumed the  form  of  a  riot  occurred  at  East  Greenwich, 
occasioned  by  a  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town 
having  hung  one  of  the  Warwick  inhabitants  in  effigy. 
Judge  Stephen  Arnold,  of  Warwick,  was  the  person 
that  had  awakened  the  opposition  of  a  considerable 
number  of  persons  and  led  to  this  manifestation  of  con- 
tempt on  the  part  of  our  neighbors  of  East  Greenwich. 
He  was  a  Judge  of  Common  Pleas,  and  had  been  charged 
with  Tory  principles,  though  it  hardly  appears  from  the 
records  that  he  was  guilty.  He  made  a  violent  opposi- 
tion to  some  politicians,  and  denounced  some  of  the 
leaders  with  so  much  asperity  that  his  opponents  took 
this  method  of  revenge.  Arnold  appears  to  have  been 
much  incensed  at  this  method  of  retaliation,  and  influ- 
enced a  large  number  of  his  sympathizers,  who  finally 
went  to  East  Greenwich,  and  threatened  to  destroy  the 
village.*  Deputy  Governor  Sessions  ordered  the  Cadets 
and  Light  Infantry  to  Greenwich  to  support  the  Sheriff. 
Governor  Greene,  f  who  was  cousin  to  Judge  Arnold,  and 
who  resided  on  the  old  Greene  homestead  in  Warwick, 
near  Greenwich,  recommended  moderate  measures,  and 
interceded  in  Arnold's  behalf.  The  parley  that  was 
held  resulted  in  Judo-e  Arnold's  making  a  written  con- 
fession  of  his  wrong  in  encouraging  the  riot,  while  he 
maintained  his  right  to  express  himself  freely  upon  all 
matters.  In  this  confession,  which  he  publicly  read  at 
the  time,  "he  declared  himself  opposed  to  the  scheme  for 
taxing  the  colonies  by  Great  Britain." 

Judge  Arnold  was  several  times  elected  subsequently,  to  im- 
portant offices,  and  the  cloud  that  had  unfortunately  gathered 
over  him  soon  passed  away.  He  is  represented  as  "a  tall,  slim 
man,"  active  in  his  habits,  social  and  somewhat  eccentric.  He 
was  a  descendant  of  the  Pawtuxet  Arnolds,  and  born  Sept.  3, 
1732.     His  father  was  Philip,  son  of  Stephen,  and  grandson  of 

*  See  Arnold's  Hisf.  Vol.  II,  341.     R.  I.  Col.  Rec.  Vol.  IX,  pp.  623-4. 

t  The  mother  of  the  Governor,  was  Catherine,  second  daughter  of 
Capt.  Benjamin  Greene,  and  the  mother  of  Judge  Arnold,  was 
Susanna,  Mrs.  Greene's  eldest  sister.  Capt.  Greene  was  son  of  Thomas, 
and  grandson  of  John  Greene,  Senior.—  Mr.  Rousmaniera' s  Pawtuxet 
Letters. 


1667-1776.]  JUDGE   STEPHEN"   ARNOLD.  105 


Stephen,  and  great  grandson  of  William,  the  first  of  the 
family  in  this  State.  At  a  town  meeting  held  Jan.  11,  1768,  of 
which  Judge  Philip  Greene  was  moderator,  a  committee,  con- 
sisting of  Col.  Benjamin  Waterman,.  James  Rhodes,  Capt. 
Benjamin  Greene,  Stephen  Arnold,  Thomas  Wickes,  Thomas 
Rice,  Jr  ,  and  John  Warner,  Jr.,  was  appointed  to  draft  resolu- 
tions adverse  to  the  importation  of  goods  from  England,  and 
favorable  to  the  development  of  home  manufactures.  He  was 
then  a  young  man,  and  gave  promise  of  much  influence  and 
usefulness,  which  was  afterwards  fulfilled.  Stephen  Arnold, 
of  Pawtuxet,  his  grandfather,  was  one  of  'he  largest,  land- 
holders in  the  town.  Judge  Arnold  married  Ann,  daughter  of 
Capt.  Josiah  Haynes,  June  16,  1751.  He  was  married  several 
times.  One  of  his  daughters,  Elizabeth,  married  Christopher 
A.  Whitman,  of  Coventry,  who  was  for  some  years  President 
of  the  Coventry  Bank.  While  in  conversation  about  the  New 
London  turnpike  passing  through  the  lands  of  his  son,  he  fell 
dead  in  the  road  near  ihe  Methodist  parsonage  in  Centreville, 
May  19,  1816,  in  the  84th  year  of  his  age.  Two  of  his  sons 
came  to  their  end  in  the  same  sudden  manner  not  long  after- 
wards— Benedict,  while  riding  to  Apponaug,  dropped  dead 
from  his  horse,  and  his  oldest  son  dropped  from  his  chair  and 
expired  just  after  he  had  eaten  a  hearty  dinner. 


106  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1776-1800. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

From  the  Breaking  out  of  the  B evolutionary  War  to  the  year 

1800. 

Though  the  town  of  Warwick  was  no  more  interested 
in  or  affected  by  the  war  of  the  Revolution  than  some  of 
the    other   towns   of    the    State,    it  happily  fell   to  its 
lot   to    furnish   several    men    who   became    conspicuous 
during  the  time,  both  in  the  councils  of  State  and  in  the 
field.     The  notes  of  preparation  for  the   coming  conflict 
were  heard  from  many  quarters.     Military  organizations 
were  being  formed  all  over  the  country  previous  to   the 
actual  outbreak  of  hostilities.     At  the   October  session 
of  1774,  the  General  Assembly  granted  a  charter  to  the 
Pawtuxet  Rangers  ;   also  one  to  the  Kentish  Guards,  an 
independent  company  for  the  three  towns   of  Warwick, 
East   Greenwich   and  Coventry,  from   which   at   a  later 
day    were   to    be  taken    Gen.    James  Mitchel  Varnum, 
Gen.  Nathaniel  Greene  and   Col.  Christopher  Greene, 
with    others  of  less  note.     The  news  of  the  battle  of 
Lexington,    on    the    19th    of  April,    1775,  aroused  the 
patriotic  spirit  of  Rhode  Island  to   a   still   higher  point, 
and  three  days  after  the  battle  of  Lexington,  the  Assem- 
bly met  at  Providence,  and   "  Voted  and  resolved  that 
fifteen  hundred  men  be  enlisted,  raised  and  embodied  as 
aforesaid,  with  all  the  expedition  and  despatch  that  the 
thing  will  admit  of."     This  army  was  designed  especially 
as  an    army  of    observation,   with  its    quarters   in   this 
State,  "  and  also  if  it  be    necessaiy,   for   the   safety  and 
preservation  of  any  of  the   Colonies,   to  march  out  of 
this  Colony,  and  join  and  cooperate  with  the  forces  of 


1776-1800.]  GEN.   NATHANIEL   GREENE.  107 

the  neighboring  Colonies."  It  was  subsequently  formed 
into  one  brigade  under  the  command  of  a  Brigadier 
General,  and  the  brigade  was  divided  into  three  regi- 
ments, each  of  which  was  to  be  commanded  by  one 
Colonel,  one  Lieutenant  Colonel  and  one  Major,  while 
each  regiment  was  to  consist  of  eight  companies.  Na- 
thaniel Greene  was  chosen  the  Brigadier  General.* 

The  following  is  the  commission  signed  by  Henry 
Ward,  Secretary  of  the  Colony,  who  was  "  authorized 
and  fully  empowered  to  sign  the  commissions  of  all  offi- 
cers, civil  and  military  :" 

"By  the  Honorable  the  General  Assembly,  of  the  English 
Colony  of  Kbode  Island  and  Providence  Plantations  in  New 
England  in  America. 

"To  Nathaniel  Greene,  Esquire  : 

Greeting: 

"Whereas  for  the  Preservation  of  the  Eights  and  Liberties 
of  His  Majesty's  loyal  and  faithful  subjects  in  this  Colony  and 
America,  the  aforesaid  General  Assembly  have  ordered  Fif- 
teen Hundred  men  to  be  enlisted  and  embodied  into  an  Army 
of  Observation,  and  to  be  formed  into  one  Brigade  under  the 
command  of  a  Brigadier-General,  and  have  appointed  you  the 
said  Nathaniel  Greene,  Brigadier-General  ..f  the  said  Army  of 
Observation:  you  are,  therefore,  hereby  in  His  Majesty's 
Name,  George  the  Third,  by  the  Grace  of  God,  King  of  Great 
Britain,  &c,  authorized,  empowered  and  commissioned  to  have, 
take  and  exercise  the  office  of  Brigadier-General  of  the  said 
Army  of  Observation,  and  to  command,  guide  and  conduct  the 
same  or  any  part  thereof.  A  nd  in  Case  of  Invasion  or  Assault  of 
a  Common  Enemy,  to  disturb  ihis  or  any  other  of  His  Majesty's 
Colonies  in  America,  you  are  to  alarm  and  gather  together  the 
Army  under  your  command,  or  any  part  thereof,  as  you  shall 
deem  sufficient,  and  therewith  to  the  utmost  of  vTour  Skill  and 
Ability,  you  are  to  visit,  expel,  kill  and  destroy' them  in  Order 
to  preserve  the  Interests  of  His  Majesty  and  His  good  Sub- 
jects in  these  Parts.  You  are  also  to  follow  such  instructions, 
Directions  and  Orders  as  shail  from  Time  to  Time  be  given 
forth,  either  by  the  General  Assembly  or  your  superior  Officers. 
And  for  your  so  doing  this  Commission  shall  be  your  sufficient 
Warrant. 

*  The  life  of  Gen.  Greene,  by  his  grandson,  George  Washington 
Greene,  LL.  D.,  from  which  these,  and  many  subsequent  items  of  his 
life  are  taken,  is  one  of  the  ablest  biographies  in  the  English  language, 
and  reflects  hardly  less  credit  upon  its  author  than  upon  his  distin- 
guished ancestor. 


108  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK  [1776-1S00. 

"By  virtue  of  an  Act  of  the  said  General  Assembty,  I, 
Henry  Ward,  Esq.,  Secretary  of  the  said  Colony  have  hereunto 
set  my  Hand  and  the  seal  of  the  said  Colony  this  eighth  Day  of 
May,  A.D.  1775,  and  in  the  Fifteenth  year  of  His  said  Majesty's 
Reign.     Henry  Ward." 

Gen.  Greene  was  born  June  6th,  1742,  in  that  part  of 
the  town  still  known  by  its  aboriginal  name  of  Potowo- 
mut  or  "  place  of  all  the  fires,"  and  which  was  purchased 
by  Randall  Holden  and  Ezekiel  Holliman,  in  behalf  of 
themselves  and  their  fellow  townsmen,  of  the  Indian 
sachem  Tacomanan  and  his  sons  Awashotust  and  Wawa- 
nockashaw  in  1654.  He  was  the  fifth  in  descent  from, 
his  ancestor,  John  Greene,  senior,  who  with  a  few  com- 
panions took  up  their  solitary  abode  in  the  then  wil- 
derness of  Shawomet  a  century  before.  His  father,  also 
named  Nathaniel,  was  of  the  Quaker  persuasion,  and  an 
eloquent  preacher,  and  divided  his  time  between  the 
pulpit  and  the  forge,  grist  mill  and  saw  mill,  which  he 
had  set  up  on  the  little  river  that  wended  its  way 
through  his  lands.  Under  his  care  his  eight  sons  grew 
to  manhood.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a  rigid  disciplin- 
arian, a  believer  in  the  old  Bible  maxim  that  "  Train  up 
a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go  and  when  he  is  old  he 
will  not  depart  from  it."  The  maxim  held  true  in  the 
case  of  Nathaniel,  excepting  so  far  as  related  to  his  con- 
tinuance in  the  peculiar  religious  sentiments  of  his  father, 
and  might  have  proved  true  even  in  this  respect,  but  for 
the  stirring  times  that  dawned  upon  the  colony,  about 
the  time  he  arrived  at  manhood.  Gen.  Greene  in  early 
life  manifested  an  ardent  desire  for  knowledge,  which  he 
gratified  as  far  as  his  opportunities  allowed.  As  he  ap- 
proached his  majority  the  natural  inclination  for  society 
strongly  developed  itself,  and  the  frequent  merry-makings 
in  the  surrounding  families  during  the  long  winter 
evenings  were  specially  coveted,  but  could  be  enjoyed 
only  by  stealth.  The  inclination  to  participate  in  them 
becoming  so  strong  various  methods  were  resorted  to, 
such  as  youthful  ingenuity  is  apt  to  invent  to  accomplish 
its  purposes.      An  anecdote  of  this  character  is  well  au- 


1776-1800.]  ANECDOTE   OF   GEN.    GREENE.  109 


thenticated  and  related  by  one  of  his  biographers.  uHe 
had  stolen  from  the  house,  when  it  appeared  to  be  wrapt 
in  slumber.  The  occasion  was  one  of  particular  at- 
tractions. There  was  a  great  party  in  the  neighborhood 
to  which  he  had  been  secretly  invited.  He  danced  till 
midnight,  the  gayest' of  the  gay,  little  dreaming  of  any 
misadventure.  But  when  he  drew  near  to  the  home- 
stead, his  keen  eyes  discovered  the  person  of  his  father, 
paternally  waiting,  whip  in  hand,  beneath  the  very  win- 
dow through  which  he  ;.lone  could  find  entrance.  The 
stern  old  Quaker  was  one  of  that  class  of  people  who  are 
apt  to  unite  the  word  and  the  blow,  the  latter  being  quite 
likely  to  make  itself  known  before  the  other,  in  this 
emergenc}',  conscious  that  there  was  no  remedy  against, 
or  rescue  from  the  rod,  young  Greene  promptly  con- 
ceived an  idea  which  suggests  a  ready  capacity  for  military 
resource.  A  pile  of  shingles  lav  at  hand,  and  before  he 
supposed  his  father  to  behold  his  approach,  he  insinuated 
beneath  his  jacket  a  sufficient  number  of  thin  layers  of 
shingles  to  shield  his  back  and  shoulders  from  the  thong. 
With  this  secret  corslet  he  approached  and  received  his 
punishment  with  the  most  exemplary  fortitude.  The 
old  man  laid  on  with  the  utmost  unction,  little  dreaming 
of  the  secret  cause  of  that  hardy  resignation  with  which 
the  lad  submitted  to  a  punishment  which  was  meant  to 
be  most  exemplary.*'  The  danger  that  threatened  the 
colonies  awakened  his  patriotic  sentiments  and  turned 
the  current  of  his  boyhood  teachings  ot  non-resistance 
into  warlike  channels,  and  led  him  by  diligent  study  of 
such  books  as  he  could  procure,  to  prepare  himself  for 
the  active  and  important  position  to  which  he  was  subse- 
quently called.  Previous  to  the  breaking  out  of  the 
revolutionary  war,  in  connection  with  several  of  his  bro- 
thers, he  removed  to  Coventry,  where  he  carried  on  an 
extensive  business  in  forging  anchors.  Their  forge  stood 
near  where  the  Quidnick  Railroad  bridge  now  stands. 
He  married  Catherine, daughter  of  John  Littlefield,  of  New 
Shoreham,  July  20th,  1774.  Gen.  Greene's  subsequent 
brilliant  military  career,  which  may  be  said  to  have  com- 
10 


HO  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1776-1800. 

menced  the  same  year  of  his  marriage,  he  having  joined 
the  Kentish  Guards  in  that  year,  is  too  well  known  to 
need  a  recapitulation.  In  the  latter  part  of  1785,  he  re- 
moved with  his  family  to  Georgia,  where  he  died  on  the 
19th  of  June,  1786.  As  a  successful  military  commander 
in  the  revolutionary  struggle,  it  is  generally  allowed  that 
he  stood  second  only  to  Washington. 

A  resolution  was  passed  in  Congress,  July  2,  1864, 
inviting  each  State  to  furnish,  for  the  old  Hall  of  the 
House  of  Representatives,  "two  full  length  marble  statues 
of  deceased  persons,  who  have  been  citizens  thereof,  and 
illustrious  for  their  renown,  or  from  civic  or  military  ser- 
vices, such  as  each  state  shall  determine  to  be  worthy  of 
national  commemoration."  In  accordance  with  this 
resolution,  the  General  Assembly  of  Rhode  Island, 
ordered  to  be  made  two  marble  statues,  one  of  Gen. 
Nathaniel  Greene  and  the  other  of  Roger  Williams.  On 
the  25th  of  January,  1870,  Hon.  Henry  B.  Anthony,  in 
behalf  of  Rhode  Island,  presented  to  Congress,  with  an 
appropriate  address,  the  statue  of  Gen.  Greene. 

On  the  12th  of  May,  1874,  the  same  gentleman  intro- 
duced in  the  Senate,  a  concurrent  resolution  to  erect  a 
monument  at  the  seat  of  the  Federal  government  to 
Gen.  Greene,  and  instructing  the  committee  on  Public 
Buildings  and  Grounds,  "to  designate  a  site  upon  the 
Capitol  grounds,  for  an  equestrian  statue  of  Nathaniel 
Greene."  The  resolution  was  adopted  by  both  houses, 
and  the  sum  of  forty  thousand  dollars  was  subsequently 
appropriated  for  the  erection  of  the  statue. 

Of  the  three  regiments  comprising  the  Rhode  Island 
Brigade,  the  one  for  Kent  and  King's  counties  was  placed 
under  tl^e  command  of  Col.  James  M.  Varnum,  with 
Christopher  Greene  as  major.  In  the  following  June,  the 
battle  of  Bunker  Hill  having  been  fought,  increasing 
preparations  were  made  throughout  the  Rhode  Island 
colony  for  the  struggle.  Every  man  capable  of  bearing 
arms  was  required  to  equip  himself  for  service  and  to 
drill  half  a  day  semi-monthly.  Six  additional  companies 
of  sixty  men  each  were  ordered  to  be  raised  and  to  join 


1776-1800.]  ACCOUNT   OF   COL.    LIPP1TT.  HI 

the  brigade,  which  had  now  been  placed  under  the  gene- 
ral direction  of  Washington,  who  was  now  in  the  vicinity 
of  Boston.  A  brig  from  the  West  Indies  had  been  cap- 
tured off  Warwick  Neck,  and  the  adjacent  shore  pillaged 
of  much  live  stock.  Additional  forces  were  raised 
throughout  the  colony.  In  January,  1776,  Warwick 
Neck  was  fortified,  and  a  company  of  Artillery  and 
minute  men  were  sent  to  defend  it.  Two  new  regiments 
of  seven  hundred  and  fifty  men  each  were  raised,  and 
united  in  one  brigade.  Of  one  of  these  regiments, 
Henry  Babcock  was  colonel,  and  Christopher  Lippitt,  of 
this  town,  was  Lieutenant  Colonel. 

The  following  account  of  Col.  Lippitt  is  from  the  pen 
of  John  Rowland  Esq.  At  the  time  it  was  written, 
Mr.  Howland  was  President  of  the  R.  I.  Historical 
Society. 

"  Christopher  Lippitt  was  a  member  of  the  General  Assem- 
bly In  January,  1770,  he  was  appointed  Lieut.  Col.  of  the 
regiment  raised  by  the  State — Col.  Harry  Babcock  was  com- 
mander. He  shortly  quitted  the  service  and  Lieut.  Col.  Lippitt 
was  promoted  to  the  office  of  Colonel.  I  enlisted  in  Capt. 
Dexter's  company.  We  were  stationed  on  the  island  of  Rhode 
Island.  The  regiment  was  taken  into  the  continental  service, 
and  the  officers  commissioned  by  Congress.  After  the  dis- 
astrous battle  of  Long  Island,  we  were  ordered  to  join  Wash- 
ington's army,  at  New  York. 

On  the  '61st  of  Dec,  1776,  while  the  army  under  Washington 
was  in  Jersey,  the  term  of  all  the  continental  troops  expired, 
except  Lippitt's  regiment,  which  had  eighteen  days  more  to 
serve.  The  brigade  to  which  they  were  attached  consisted  of 
five  regiments,  three  of  which  (Varnum's,  Hitchcock's  and 
Lippitt's)  were  from  Rhode  Island.  Col.  Hitchcock  commanded 
the  brigade,  and  Lippitt's  regiment  counted  more  than  one 
third  of  the  whole.  This  was  the  time  that  tried  both  soul  and 
body.  We  had  by  order  of  the  General  left  our  tents  at  Bris- 
tol, on  the  other  side  of  the  Delaware.  We  were  standing  on 
frozen  ground,  covered  with  snow.  The  hope  of  the  com- 
mander in  chief  was  sustained  by  the  character  of  these  half- 
frozen,  half  starved  men,  that  he  could  persuade  them  to  serve 
another  month,  until  the  new  recruits  should  arrive.  He  made 
the  atiempt  and  it  succeeded.  Gen.  Mifflin  addressed  our 
men,  at  his  request:  he  did  it  well.  The  request  of  the  General 
was  acceded  to  by  our  unanimously  poising  the  firelock  as  a 
signal.     Within  two  hours  alter   this   vote  we  were   on  our 


112  HISTORY   OF   WABWICK.  [1776-1800. 


march  to  Trenton.  Col.  Lippitt's  regiment  was  in  the  battle  at 
Trenton,  when  retreating  over  the  bridge,  it  being  narrow,  our 
platoons  were  in  passing  it,  crowded  into  a  dense  and  solid  mass, 
in  the  rear  of  which  the  enemy  were  making  their  best  efforts. 
The  noble  horse  of  Gen.  Washington,  stood  with  his  breast 
pressed  close  against  the  end  of  the  west  rail  of  the  bridge;  and 
the  firm,  composed,  and  majestic  countenance  of  the  General 
inspired  confidence  and  assurance,  in  a  moment  so  important 
and  critical. 

"They  did  not  succeed  in  their  attempt  to  cross  the  bridge. 
Although  the  creek  was  fordable  between  the  bridge  and  the 
Delaware,  they  declined  attempting  a  passage  in  the  face 
of  those  who  presented  a  more  serious  obstruction  than  the 
water.  On  one  hour — }-es,  on  forty  minutes,  commencing  at  the 
moment  when  the  British  first  saw  the  bridge  and  the  cieek 
before  them — de] 'ended  the  all-important,  the  all-absorbing 
question,  whether  we  should  be  independent  States  or  con- 
quered rebels!  Had  the  army  of  Cornwallis  within  that  space 
crossed  the  bridge  or  forded  the  creek,  unless  a  miracle  had 
intervened,  there  would  have  been  an  end  of  the  American 
Army."' 

"Col.  Lippitt  was  in  the  battle  of  Princeton.  The  Com- 
mander-in-chief after  the  action,  took  the  commander  of  our 
brigade  (Col.  Hitchcock)  by  the  hand,  expressing  his  high  ap- 
probation of  bis  conduct  and  that  of  the  troops  he  commanded, 
and  wished  him  to  communicate  his  thanks  to  his  officers  and 
men  " 

"Col.  Lippitt  continued  in  service  during  the  war.  He  after- 
wards removed  to  Cranston.  He  was  appointed  Major  General 
of  State's  Militia.  He  died  on  his  farm  in  Cranston.  Charles 
Lippitt  the  brother  of  Col.  Lippitt.  was  an  officer  in  the  revolu- 
tionary war,  and  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  General 
Assembly.     He  died  in  Providence,  in  August,  1845,  aged  91." 

The  following  is  an  account  of  the  earlier  generations 
of  the  Lippitt  family  of  this  town : 

John  Lippitt,  the  first  of  this  name  in  this  town,  settled  here 
previous  to  the  year  1655,  on  which  date  his  name  appears  on 
the  roll  of  freemen.  In  1638  he  was  a  resident  of  Providence, 
and  in  1647  was  one  of  the. committer  who  were  appointed  to 
organize  the  government  under  the  Parliamentary  charter. 
He  had  five  children,  viz.:  Nathaniel,  John,  Moses,  Joseph  and 
Rebecca,  who  married  Joseph  Howard,  Feb.  2,  1665:  she  mar- 
ried the  second  time.  Francis  Budlong,  March  19,  1669. 

John,  son  of  John,1  married  Ann  Greene  or  Grove,  Feb.  9, 
1665.  He  died  about  1670.  He  had  two  children,  John,  born 
Nov.  16,  1665,  married  Rebecca  Lippitt,  his  cousin;  Moses,  born 
Feb.  17,  1668. 


1776-1800.]  THE   LIPPITT   FAMILY.  113 


Moses,2  son  of  John,1  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Henry 
Knowles.  Moses  died  Jan.  6,  1703.  Their  children  were 
Mary,  who  married  John,  son  of  John  and  Mary  Burlingame, 
of  Kingstown,  R.  I.  Martha,  who  married  Thomas  Burlingame, 
the  brother  of  John.  Bebecea,  who  married  John  Lippitt, 
(John,2  John1  )  and  Moses. 

Moses3  was  born  about  the  year  1683,  and  died  Dec.  12,  1745. 
He  was  a  deputy  to  the  General  Assembly  six  years,  between 
1715  and  1730.  He  married  Ann  Phillis,  daughter  oi  Joseph 
and  Alice  Whipple,  of  Providence.  They  had  five  children, 
viz.:  Moses  (a  favorite  prenomen  in  this  family),  born  Jan. 
17.  1709,  married  Waite  Bhodes,  and  died  August  8,  1766;  Jere- 
miah, born  Jan.  27,  1711,  married  VVelthian  Greene,  and  died  in 
1776;  Christopher,  born  Nov.  29,  1711,  married  Catherine 
Holden,  and  died  Dec.  7,  1761:  Joseph,  born  Sept.  4, 1715,  mar- 
ried Lucy  Bowen,  and  died  May  17,  1783;  Ann  Phillis,  born 
August  29,  1717.  married  Abraham  Francis,  June  18,  1736,  and 
died  June  24,  1774.  Abraham  Francis  was  born  in  1711,  and 
died  Oct.  11,  1764.  He  was  a  resident  of  Boston,  and  "was 
reported  to  be  the  heir  to  most  of  the  land  upon  which  Boston 
stood,  but  never  obtained  it."  Ann  Phillis  Lippitt  was  edu- 
cated at  Boston,  where  she  met  Mr.  Francis,  and  received  there 
her  offer  of  marriage.  They  subsecpiently  resided  in  Warwick. 
Mr.  Francis  w  as  Captain  of  the  4th  Company  in  the  Rhode 
Island  Ptegiment  in  the  French  War  of  1755.  He  had  no 
children.  Freelove,  burn  March  31,  1720,  married  Samuel 
Chace,  August  10,  1743;  Mary,  born  Dec.  2,  1723,  and  John, 
Dec.  24,  1731,  who  married  Bethiah  Bice,  and  died  Sept.  15, 
1811. 

Moses,4  (Moses,3  Moses,2  John,1  )  married  Waite  Bhodes, 
daughter  of  John  and  Catherine  (Holden)  Bhodes  lived  on 
Connimic.t  Point.  They  had  eight  children,  viz.:  Catherine, 
born  Dec.  19,  1731;  Moses,  born  1736,  died  1740;  Waite,  born 
1738,  died  1740;  Joseph,  born  June  28,  1740,  died  July  29,  1758, 
on  the  coast  of  Guinea;  Waite,  born  April  10,  1743,  married 
David,  son  of  Josiah  Arnold,  August  29,  1765;  Moses,  born 
May  26, 1745,  and  died  June  14,  1833.  He  was  called  "Moses 
of  the  Mill,"  because  he  owned  the  grist  mill,  built  by  Thomas 
Stafford  at  an  early  period.  He  married  Tabitha  Greene, 
daughter  of  Elisha  Greene,  of  East  Greenwich,  Dec.  25,  1768; 
Abraham,  born  Oct.  26,  1747.  He  was  ordained  an  Elder  of  the 
Old  Baptist  Church  in  Old  Warwick,  Sept.  7,  1782.  He  mar- 
ried August  8,  1770,  Sarah,  daughter  of  Capt.  Josiah  and 
Maplet  (Remington)  Arno'd.  In  1793  he  removed  to  Hart- 
wick,  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  Mary,  born  June  26,  1749,  married 
Caleb  Greene,  son  of  Richard  and  Rebecca,  born  August  11, 
1751,  joined  the  Shakers  at  New  Lebanon,  N.  Y.,  and  died 
there. 

*J0 


114  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK.  [1776-1800. 


Moses5  Lippitt  (Moses,4  Moses,3  Moses,2  John,1  )  who  married 
Tahitha  Greene,  had  seven  children,  viz.:  Waite,  horn  August 
31,  1769;  Elisha,  August  29,  177  L;  Isabel  and  Tabitha  (twins), 
April  1,  1779;  Mary,  June  14,  1781;  Elizabeth  G.,  April  20, 
1785;  Moses  G.,  August  27, 1789. 

Isabel  Lippitt  married  Stephen  Budlong,  July  28,  1805. 
Their  children  were,  Moses  L.,  born  Oct.  26,  1806;  Tabitha 
G.,  (who  married  Thomas  Jones  Spencer,  Esq.,)  March  1,  1S0S; 
William  D.,  Dec.  14,  1809;  Lorenzo  Dow,  June  27,  1812; 
Isabella  L.,  March  13,  1814,  and  Ann  C.  March  9,  1SK5.  The 
homestead  of  Stephen  Budlong  was  near  the  "High  House," 
where  he  owned  a  large  farm.  He  died  Oct.  13,  1850;  his  wife 
died  May  8, 1860. 

Jeremiah,  son  of  Moses,3  married  Welthian  Greene,  daughter 
of  Richard  Greene,  Sept.  12,  1734.  He  was  Town  Clerk  of 
Warwick,  from  June  1742  to  his  death  in  1776,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  year  1775:  a  deputy  four  years,  and  Assistant  five 
years.  They  had  nine  children,  five  sons  and  four  daughters, 
of  whom  the  first,  Anne,  born  Nov.  15,  1735,  married  first, 
Col.  Christopher  Greene  (see  frontispiece),  son  of  Philip  and 
Elizabeth  (Wickes)  Greene.  She  married  the  second  time  Col. 
John  Low. 

Christopher  Lippitt,  son  of  Moses,3  was  born  Nov.  29,  1712. 
He  married  Catherine  Holden,  daughter  of  Anthony  and  Phebe 
(Rhodes)  Holden,  Jan.  2,  1736,  and  had  twelve  children,  of 
whom  Col.  Christopher  Lippitt,  the  revolutionary  hero,  was  the 
fourth* 

The  exposed  condition  of  the  seaboard  towns  rendered 
it  advisable  for  the  women  and  children  to  remove  into 
the  interior,  and  many  of  them  accordingly  left  their 
homes  for  safer  quarters. .  Warwick  Neck  was  defended 
by  Col.  John  Waterman's  regiment,  and  Pawtuxet  by 
that  of  Col.  Samuel  Aborn.  In  July,  1777,  one  of  the 
most  daring  and  skilfully  executed  acts  that  occurred 
during  the  war,  resulted  in  the  seizure  of  Gen.  Prescott, 
the  British  commander  on  Rhode  Island,  by  Lieut.  Col. 
William  Barton,  who  was  at  the  time  stationed  at  Tiver- 
ton. Prescott  was  quartered  about  five  miles  from  New- 
port, on  the  west  road  leading  to  the  Feny.  On  the 
10th  of  the  month,  at  about  nine  o'clock.  Barton  with  a 


*  For  a  further  account  of  tliis  family,  see  the  carefully  prepared 
account  by  Daniel  Reekwith,  Esq.,  of  Providence,  It.  I.  1  am  also 
indebted  for  a  portion  of  the  above  information  to  Mrs.  Thomas  Jones 
Spencer,  of  this  town.     See  also  Updike's  Narragausett  Church. 


*     a1n H  -Oi^i^Krff  r/^/A/c.  a5>)  ENGRAVED  BY 

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1776-1800.]  CAPTURE   OF   GEN.    PKESCOTT.  H5 


small  company,  went  clown  to  Warwick  Neck,  and  em- 
barked in   row  boats,  passing  between   the   islands    of 
Patience  and  Prudence  to  the  island  where  Prescott  was 
encamped.     Three   British  frigates,  the  Lark,  the  Dia- 
mond and  the  Juno,  were  lying  at  anchor  with  their 
guard  boats  out  on  the  east  side  of  Prudence.     Passing 
the  south  end  of  Prudence  with  muffled  oars,  they  heard 
the  sentinels   cry:     "All's    well."     These    they   passed 
safely  and  in  due  time  landed  at  the  place  of  their  des- 
tination.    Barton  divided  his  men   into  several  squads 
and   advanced  toward  the  house,  passing    the    British 
guard  house  a  hundred  rods  on  the  left,  and  a  company 
of  light  horse  about  the   same   distance  on  the  right. 
The   squads  approached   the  house  from  different    di- 
rections to  cut  off  all  chance  of  Prescott's  escape.     As 
one  company  approached  the  gate  a  sentinel  challenged 
them,  but  met  with  no  reply.     The   sentinel  then  de- 
manded the  countersign.      Barton  replied  boldly,   "  We 
have  no  countersign  to  give  ;  have  you  seen  any  deserters 
to-night?"  and  marched  on,  and  before  the  sentinel  was 
aware  of  the  position  of  things  he   was  made  a  prisoner. 
The  house  was  at  once  entered  and  Col.  Barton  ascended 
to  the  General's  sleeping  room.     As  he  entered  Prescott 
jumped  from  his  bed  and  seized  his  gold  watch,  hang- 
ing upon  the  wall,  when  he  was  told  that  he  was  a  pri- 
soner.    Gen.  Prescott  requested  permission  to  dress,  but 
was  told  that  time  was  too  precious  to  allow  it,  and  he 
was  permitted  only  to  wrap  his  cloak  about  him.     Major 
Barrington,  who  had  leaped  from  a  window  as  Barton 
and  his  men  entered  by  the  door,   was  taken  prisoner. 
Both  were  marched  off  to  the  boats,  where  Prescott  was 
permitted   to  dress.      The   injunction   of  perfect  silence 
was  imposed  upon  the  prisoners  until  they  had  passed 
the  British  vessels.     As  they  landed  at  Warwick  Neck, 
Prescott  turned  to  Col.  Barton  and  remarked,  "Sir,  you 
have  made  a  bold  push  to-night,"   to   which  Barton  re- 
plied, "  Sir,   we  have  been  very  fortunate."     They  re- 
mained a  short  time  at  Old  Warwick,  until  Col.  Elliott 
arrived  with  a  coach  and  convej'ed  the  party  to  Provi- 


116  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK.  [1776-1S00. 


dence.  Gen.  Prescott  took  breakfast  before  starting  for 
Providence,  at  a  house  which  is  still  standing  and  which 
was  then  used  as  a  tavern.  It  is  a  gambrel  roofed  house, 
on  the  east  side  of  Main  street,  and  not  far  from  the 
residence  of  Mr.  George  Anthony.  It  is  known  as  the 
David  Arnold  house.  Mrs.  Arnold  noticing  that  the 
General  was  without  a  cravat,  offered  him  one  of  her 
white  handkerchiefs,  and  at  breakfast  expressed  her  fear 
that  her  breakfast  was  not  relished,  as  the  General  did 
not  eat  heartily.  Prescott  replied  that  he  had  not  much 
appetite.  Prescott  was  afterward  exchanged  for  Gene- 
ral Lee,  who  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  and 
at  the  close  of  the  same  year  or  the  beginning  of  the  next, 
he  resumed  command  of  the  British  forces  in  Rhode 
Island,  where  he  remained  until  its  final  evacuation.* 
For  this  gallant  act,  congress  voted  a  sword  to  Col.  Bar- 
ton, and  gave  him  a  few  months  afterwards,  a  Colonel's 
commission  and  he  was  appointed  aide-de-camp  to  Gen. 
Greene. 

In  1777,  William  Greene,  Jr.,  was  chief  Justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  and  in  May  of  the  following  year,  he 
was  elected  to  the  office  of  Governor,  a  position  which 
he  held  for  eight  consecutive  years.  "It  illustrates  the 
simple  manners,  as  well  as  the  physical  vigor  of  the  man 
of  revolutionary  times,  that  Gov.  Greene,  although  pos- 
sessed of  an  ample  fortune,  was  accustomed  two  or 
three  times  a  week,  during  the  sessions  of  Assembly  at 
Providence,  to  walk  up  from  Warwick,  or  we  might  say 
from  Greenwich,  as  he  resided  on  the  dividing  line  of 
the  two  towns,  and  home  again  in  the  afternoon."!  At 
this  time  the  war  had  been  in  progress  two  years.  The 
battles  of  Lexington,  Bunker  Hill,  Trenton,  Brandy- 
wine,  Germantown  and  others  had  been  fought,  and  the 
condition  of  the  country,  though  still  depressed,  was  as- 
suming a  more  hopeful   prospect.     Congress   had    sent 

*  See  account  of  the  affair  in  Rev.  Arthur  A.  Ross'  Centennial  Dis- 
course, published  in  183S.  Mr.  Ross  was  then  pastor  of  the  1st  Baptist 
Church,  Newport,  and  previously  settled  in  this  town.  Also,  in 
'"Spirit  of  '7(5."  pp.  47-50,  and  Arnold,  vol.  ii.  403. 

f  Arnold  II.,  417. 


1776-1800.]  PROGRESS    OF   THE    WAR.  H" 


Dr.  Franklin.  Silas  Deane  and  Arthur  Lee  as  commis- 
sioners to  France  to  solicit  assistance,  and  during  this 
year,  treaties  of  amity  and  commerce  were  signed, 
and  the  Independence  of  the  United  States  was  thus 
acknowledged.  All  this  was  hopeful,  but  the  British 
troops  still  lay  in  force  upon  the  Island  of  Aquidneck, 
near  Newport — like  the  ancient  Mordecai  at  the  king's 
gate — commanding  the  entrances  of  Narragansett  Bay, 
and  threatening  to  pounce  upon  the  defenceless  towns 
at  any  moment.  Attacks  were  soon  made  upon  Warren, 
Bristol  and  Fall  River,  the  Baptist  Church  in  the  former 
place  was  destroyed,  and  other  wanton  acts  were  com- 
mitted, which  occasioned  a  sharp  correspondence  between 
the  commanding  generals,  Sullivan  an  1  Pigot.  In  the 
following  month  (June)  Congress,  by  recommendation  of 
Gov.  Greene  and  Gen.  Sullivan,  directed  Washington  to 
send  home  the  Rhode  Island  troops,  if  they  could  be 
spaied,  and  made  other  provisions  for  the  protection  of 
the  State.  The  British  had  seven  thousand  men  upon 
the  island,  while  the  forces  under  Sullivan  amounted  to 
only  sixteen  hundred.  The  Council  of  War  called  out 
half  the  effective  force  of  the  State,  the  rest  to  be  ready 
to  take  the  field  at  a  moment's  warning.  Oh  the  30th 
of  July,  Count  D'Estaing,  with  twelve  ships-of-the  line 
and  four  frigates,  arrived  off  Newport,  and  blockaded  the 
enemy.  The  "British  at  once  withdrew  to  Newport,  and 
their  ships  sought  refuge  in  the  harbor.  Three  British 
vessels  were  blown  up  in  the  east  passage,  and  four 
frigates  and  a  corvette  were  run  ashore  and  burnt  to 
prevent  them  falling  into  the  power  of  their  opponents. 
The  conflict  between  the  opposing  forces  was,  however, 
delayed  until  August  29th,  when  a  short  and  sharp 
battle  took  place  a  few  miles  from  Newport,  in  which 
the  American  loss  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing, 
amounted  to  two  hundred  and  eleven,  while  that  of  the 
British,  including  prisoners,  was  one  thousand  twenty- 
three. 

In  the  battle  Maj.  Gen.  Greene  commanded  the  right. 
Lafayette  returned  from  Boston  too  late  to  take  an  im- 


118  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK.  [1776-1800. 

portant  part  in  the  engagement,  but  at  a  later  period  of 
the  war  is  said  to  have  remarked  that  w,it  was  the  best 
fought  action  of  the  war." 

In  May,  1781,  a  sad  event  occurred  to  one  of  the  gal- 
lant soldiers  from  this  town,  which  deprived  the  country 
of  the  valuable  services  of  Col.  Christopher  Greene. 
His  regiment  was  quartered  at  ''  Rhode  Island  village," 
a  part  of  it  occupying  an  advanced  post,  some  ten  miles 
distant,  at  Points  Bridge  on  the  Croton  river,  where  the 
Colonel  and  Major  Flagg  were  quartered.  While  here 
a  party  of  the  enemy,  consisting  of  two  hundred  and 
sixty  cavalry,  forded  the  river  and  surprised  the  camp, 
killing  in  a  most  barbarous  manner,  Col.  Greene  and 
Major  Flagg.  About  foity  of  the  Rhode  Island  regi- 
ment were  either  killed  or  taken  prisoners.  The  follow- 
ing account  of  tha  affair,  from  the  appendix  to  the  war, 
in  the  Southern  department,  by  Col.  Henry  Lee,  gives 
some  of  the  particulars  of  the  affair.* 

''Exhibiting  in  early  life  his  capacity  and  amiability,  he  was 
elected  bv  bis  native  town  to  a  seat  in  the  colonial  Legislature, 
in  Oct..  1770,  and  lie  continued  to  fill  the  same  by  successive 
elections  until  Oct.,  1772.  In  1774,  the  Legislature  wisely 
established  a  military  corps,  styled  the  "  Kentish  Guards,"  f  for 
the  purpose  cf  fitting  the  most  select  of  her  youth  for  military 
officers.  In  this  corps  young  Greene  was  chosen  a  Lieutenant, 
and  in  May,  1775,  he  was  appointed  by  the  Legislature  a  Major, 
in  what  was  called  "  An  army  of  Observation,."  a  brigade  of 
1600  effectives,  under  the  orders  of  his  near  relative,  Brigadier 
Greene,  afterwards  so  celebrated. 

"  From  this  situation  he  was  promoted  to  the  command  of  a 
company  of  infantry,  in  one  of  the  regiments  raised  by  the 
State,  for  continental  service.  The  regiment  to  which  he  be- 
longed was  attached  to  the  army  of  Canada,  conducted  by  Gen. 
Montgomery,  in  the  vicissitudes  and  difficulties  of  which  cam- 
paign, Capt  Greene  shared,  evincing  upon  all  occasions  that 
unyielding  intrepidity  which  marked  his  military  conduct  in 
every  subsequent  scene.  In  the  attack  upon  Quebec,  which 
terminated  the  campaign,  as  well  as  the  life  of  the  renowned 
Montgomery,  Capt.  Greene  belonged  to  the  column  which  en- 
tered the  town,  and  was  taken  prisoner. 

*  Updike's  Narragansett  Church.  See  also  account  in  "Spirit  of 
'7(5,"  by  B.  Cowell. 

t  All  the  members  of  the  Kentish  Guards  who  entered  the  continen- 
tal army  became  officers  of  the  line.  Writings  of  Win.  Goddard,  vol. 
1.  :S4!>.  note. 


1776-1800.]  COL.    CHRISTOPHER    GREENE.  119 


His  elevated  mind  ill-brooked  the  irksomeness  of  captivity, 
though  in  the  hands  of  the  enlightened  and  humane  Carleton; 
and  it  has  been  uniformly  asserted  that,  while  a  prisoner, 
Greene  often  declared  that  he ''would  never  again  be  taken 
alive,"  a  resolution  unhappily  fulfilled. 

As  soon  as  Capt.  Greene  was  exchanged  he  repaired  to  his 
regiment,  with  which  he  continued  without  intermission,  per- 
forming with  exemplary  propriety  the  various  duties  of  his 
progressive  stations,  when  he  was  promoted  to  the  Majority  of 
Varnum's  regiment.  In  1777  he  succeeded  to  the  command  of 
the  regiment,  and  was  selected  by  Washington  to  take  com- 
mand of  Fort  Mercer  (commonly  called  Red  B:mk).  the  safe 
keeping  of  which  post  with  that  of  Fort  Mifflin  (Mud  Islaud), 
was  very  properly  deemed  of  primary  importance. 

The  noble  manner  in  which  Col.  Greene  sustained  himself 
against  a  superior  force  of  veteran  troops,  led  by  an  officer  of 
ability,  has  been  partially  related,  as  well  as  the  well-earned 
rewards  which  followed  his  memorable  defence.  Consummating 
his  military  fame  hy  his  achievements  on  that  proud  day,  he 
could  not  be  overlooked  by  the  Commander  in-chief  when 
great  occasions  called  for  great  exertion.  Greene  was  accord- 
ingly attached  with  his  regiment  to  the  troops  placed  under 
Major  Sullivan  for  the  purpose  of  breaking  up  the  enemy's 
post  on  Rhode  Island,  soon  after  the  arrival  of  the 
French  fleet  under  the  command  of  DEstaing  in  the  summer 
of  1778;  which  well-concerted  enterprise  was  marred  in  its  exe- 
cution b}^  some  of  those  incidents  which  abound  in  war,  and 
especially  when  the  enterprise  is  complicated,  and  entrusted  to 
allied  forces  and  requiring  naval  co-operation. 

"In  the  spring  of  1781,  when  Gen.  Washington  began  to 
expect  the  promised  aid  from  our  best  friend,  the  ill-fated  Louis 
XVI,  he  occasionally  approached  the  enemy's  .ines  on  the  side 
of  York  Island.  In  one  of  these  movements  Col.  Greene  with  a 
suitable  force  was  posted  on  the  Croton  river  in  advance 
of  the  army.  On  the  other  side  of  this  river  lay  a  corps  of 
refugees  (American  citizens  who  had  joined  the  Rritish  army) 
under  the  command  of  Col.  Delancy.  These  half  citizens, 
half  soldiers,  were  notorious  for  rapine  and  murder;  and  to  their 
vindictive  conduct  may  be  ascribed  most  of  the  cruelties  which 
stained  the  progress  of  our  war,  and  which  compelled  Wash- 
ington to  order  Capt.  Asgill,  of  the  British  army,  to  be  brought 
to  headquarters  for  the  purpose  of  retaliating,  by  his  execution, 
for  the  murder  of  Capt.  Huddy,  of  New  Jersey,  perpetrated  by 
a  Capt.  Lippincourt  of  the  refugees.  The  commandant  of 
these  refugees  (Delancy  was  not  present)  having  asceitained 
the  posiiion  of  Greene's  corps,  which  the  Colonel  had  cantoned 
in  adjacent  farm  houses, — probably  with  a  view  to  the  procure- 
ment of  subsistence, — took  the  'resolution  to  sirike  it.     This 


120  HISTOEY   OF   WARWICK.  [1776-1800. 


was  accordingly  done  by  a  nocturnal  movement  on  the  13th  of 
May.  The  enemy  crossed  the  Croton  before  daylight,  and 
hastening  his  advance  reached  our  station  with  the  dawn  of 
day  unperceived.  As  he  approached  the  farm  house  in  which 
the  Lieutenant  Colonel  was  quartered,  the  noise  ot  troops 
marching  was  heard,  which  was  the  first  intimation  of  the  fatal 
design.  Greene  and  Major  Flagg  immediately  prepared  them- 
selves for  defence,  but  they  were  too  late,  so  expeditious  was 
the  progress  of  the  enemy.  Flagg  discharged  his  pistols  and 
instantly  afterwards  fell  mortally  wounded,  when  the  ruffians 
(unworthy  of  the  appellation  of  soldiers)  burst  open  the  door 
of  Greene's  apartmen'.  Here  the  gallant  veteran  singly  re- 
ceived them  with  his  drawn  sword.  Several  fell  beneath  the 
arm  accustomed  to  conquer,  till  at  length  overpowered  by 
numbers  and  faint  from  the  loss  of  blood  streaming  from  his 
wounds,  barbarity  triumphed  over  valor.  His  right  arm  was 
almost  cur  off  in  two  places,  the  left  in  one,  a  severe  cut  on  the 
left  shoulder,  a  sword  thrust  through  the  abdomen,  a  bayonet 
in  the  right  side,  several  sword  cuts  on  the  head  and  many  in 
different  parts  of  the  body." 

"Thus  cruelly  mangled,  fell  the  generous  conqueror  of  Count 
Dunop,  whose  wounds  as  well  as  those  of  his  unfortunate 
associates,  had  beeu  tenderly  dressed  as  soon  as  the  battle 
terminated,  and  whose  pains  and  sorrows  had  been  as  tenderly 
assuaged.  The  Commander-in-chief  heard  with  anguish  and 
indignation  the  tragical  fate  of  his  loved— his  faithful  friend 
and  soldier — in  whose  feelings  the  army  sincerely  [  articipated. 
On  the  subsequent  day  the  corpse  was  brought  to  headquarters 
and  his  luneral  was  solemnized  with  military  honors  and 
universal  grief.  "Lieut.  Coi.  Greene  was  murdered  in  the 
meridian  of  life,  being  only  forty-four  years  old.  He  married 
in  17.j>,  Miss  Anne  Lippitt,  a  daughter  of  J.  Lippitt,  Esq., 
of  Warwick,  whom  he  left  a  widow  with  three  sons  and  four 
daughters.  He  was  stout  and  strong  in  peison,  at  out  five  feet 
ten  inches  high,  with  a  broad  round  chest;  his  aspect  manly, 
and  demeanor  pleasant;  en  joying  always  a  high  state  of  health, 
its  bloom  irradiated  his  countenance,  which  significantly  ex- 
pressed the  fortitude  and  mildness  invariably  displayed 
throughout  his  life.' 

For  the  gallant  defence  of  Fort  Mercer  at  Red  Bank, 
Congress  made  a  suitable  acknowledgment  by  passing  a 
resolution,  Nov.  4,  1777,  "  That  an  elegant  sword  be 
provided  by  the  Board  of  War  and  presented  to  Col. 
Gieene.''  Col.  Greene  did  nut  live  to  receive  the  sword, 
but  several  years  after  his  death  it  was  forwarded  to  his 
son,  Job  Gieene,  of  Centre ville,  accompanied  by  the 
following  complimentary  letter : 


1776-1800.]  COL.  •  CHRISTOPHER   GREENE.  121 


"War  Office  of  the  United  States,) 
New  York,  June  7,  1786.         J 

Sir:  — 

I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  to  you,  the  son  and  legal  repre- 
sentative of  the  late  memorable  and  gallant  Col.  Greene,  the 
sword  directed  to  be  presented  to  him,  by  the  resolve  of  Con- 
gress of  the  4th  of  November,  1777. 

"The  repulse  and  defeat  of  the  Germans  at  the  fort  of  Bed 
Bank  on  the  Delaware,  is  justly  considered  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  actions  of  the  late  war.  The  glory  of  that  event  is 
inseparably  attached  to  the  memory  of  your  father  and  his 
brave  garrison.  The  manner  in  which  the  Supreme  authority 
of  the  United  States  is  pleased  to  express  its  high  sense  of  his 
military  merit,  and  the  honorable  instrument  which  they 
annex  in  testimony  thereof,  must  be  peculiarly  precious  to  a 
son  emulative  of  his  father's  virtues.  The  circumstances  of 
the  war  prevented  obtaining  and  delivery  of  the  sword  previous 
to  your  father's  being  killed  at  Croton  Kiver  in  1780. 

On  that  catastrophe  his  country  mourned  the  sacrifice  of  a 
patriot  and  a  soldier,  and  mingled  its  tears  with  those  of  his 
family.  That  the  patriotic  and  military  virtues  of  your  hon- 
orable father  may  influence  your  conduct  in  every  case  in 
which  your  country  may  require  your  services  is  the  sincere 
wish,  sir,  of 

Your  most  obedient  and  very  humble  servant, 

H.  Knox. 

Job  Greene,  Esq." 

The  sword  is  of  elegant  workmanship,  the  blade  a 
polished  rapier,  with  its  principal  decorations  of  silver, 
inlaid  with  gold.  The  sheath  is  of  rattlesnake-skin. 
It  is  now  in  possession  of  Hon.  S.  H.  Greene,  of  River 
Point,  a  grandson  of  the  Colonel. 

Col.  Greene's  home  was  in  Centreville.  He  lived  in  a  house 
that  formerly  stood  just  north  of  the  bridge',  on  the  same  site 
where  now  stands  the  dwelling  known  as  the  "Levalley  House." 
He  was  the  son  of  Philip  Greene,  an  Associate  Judge  of  the 
Supreme  Court  in  1768,  and  great  grandson  of  Deputy 
Governor  Greene.  He  had  four  sons  and  five  daughters,  though 
at  the  death  of  the  Colonel,  two  of  them  may  have  deceased. 
Welthian,  born  Nov.  19,  1757,  married  Capt.  Thos.  Hughes; 
Job,  Nov.  19,  1759,  married  Abigail  Bhodes,  of  Stonington; 
Phebe,  Jan.  6,  1762;  Ann  Frances,  June  2,  1762;  Elizabeth, 
Dec.  15, 1766,  married  Jeremiah  Fenner,  Jr.;  Jeremiah,  Oct. 
17,  1769,  married  Lydia  Arnold,  of  East  Greenwich:  Daniel 

11 


122  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK.  [1776-1800. 


Westrand,  March  22,  1772;  Christopher,  August  27,  1774; 
Mary,  Sept.  20,  1777.  Col.  Greene's  widow  married  Col.  John 
Low.  She  died  June  9,  1816,  aged  80,  and  was  buried  with 
her  parents  near  the  Baptist  Church,  Old  Warwick. 

Job  Greene,  son  of  Christopher,  had  four  children.  Chris- 
topher Rhodes,  born  Sept.  19,  1786;  Susanna,  May  5,  1788; 
Mary  Ann,  May  25,  1794;  Simon  Henry,  March  31,  1799. 
Christopher  R.  Greene  died  in  South  Carolina.  In  the  Provi- 
dence Journal  of  April  3d,  1875,  appeared  an  interesting  arti- 
cle by  "H.  L.  G.,"  with  several  of  the  poems  of  Mr.  Greene, 
which  illustrate  the  facility  of  his  versification,  and  the  patri- 
otic as  well  as  poetic  sentiments  of  his  nature.  H.  L.  G.  says: 
"To  the  list  of  Rhode  Island  poets  should  be  added  the  name 
of  Christopher  Rhodes  Greene.  He  was  the  oldest  child  of  the 
late  Job  Greene,  Esq.,  of  Centreville,  in  Warwick, and  brother 
of  Hon.  Simon  H.  Greene,  and  grandson  of  Col.  Christopher 
Greene,  the  revolutionary  patriot. 

Born  soon  after  the  close  of  the  war  of  independence,  of 
such  parentage,  it  was  natural  that  the  mind  of  Mr.  Greene 
should  be  indued  with  the  highest- toned  sentiments  of  patri- 
otism, and  with  all  the  noblest  attributes  of  manhood. 

His  first  employment  in  business  was  in  connection  with  the 
Providence  Bank.  He  afterwards  formed  a  copartnership  with 
William  Carter,  under  the  name  of  Greene  &  Carter,  and  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  pursuits  in  Providence.  On  the  dissolution 
of  this  firm,  he  went  to  Savannah,  where  he  remained  through 
the  winter  of  1811-12,  and  lrom  thence  to  Charleston,  S.  C., 
being  honored  and  esteemed  as  a  merchant,  citizen  and  friend 
in  both  of  those  cities.  He  married  in  Charleston,  Miss  Mary 
Ann  Lehre,  and  after  a  few  years  of  wedded  life,  died  Novem- 
ber 6,  1825,  at  his  wife's  plantation,  Pountain  Grove,  St. 
Stephen's  Parish,  S.  O,  at  the  age  of  39  years. 

Several  of  his  poems  wrere  published  under  the  nom  de 
plume  of  Hebron,  in  the  Providence  Gazette,  the  Charleston 
Courier,  and  the  American  Patriot,  a  Savannah  newspaper." 

The  impossibility  of  determining  with  certainty  the 
names  of  any  considerable  number  of  persons  belonging 
to  this  town,  who  were  soldiers  of  the  Revolution,  is  a 
matter  of  regret.  The  muster  rolls  that  are  still  pre- 
served do  not  generally  indicate  the  town  to  which  the 
soldiers  belonged,  and  at  this  time  it  is  probably  impos- 
sible to  ascertain  even  a  majority  of  the  "  rank  and  file," 
as  well  as  many  of  the  subordinate  officers  of  the  army 
who  enlisted  from  this  town.*     That  the  town  furnished 


*  The  muster  roll  of  the  Field,    Staff  and  commissioned   officers   of 
the  First  Battalion  of  Rhode  Island  forces  in  the  services  of  the  United 


1776-1800.]        SOLDIERS   OF   THE    REVOLUTION.  123 

its  quota  of  men,  and  was  not  lacking  in  patriotic  senti- 
ments, might  be  inferred,  if  there  were  no  other  grounds? 
from  the  influence  that  such  men  as  we  have  already 
seem  raised  high  in  official  military  position,  would  be 
likely  to  exert  upon  their  fellow-townsmen. 

Among  the  manuscripts  preserved  in  the  Secretary  of 
State's  office,  relating  to  this  period,  I  find  the  following : 
"A  general  return  of  the  Brigade  stationed  at 
Warwick  Neck,  consisting  of  three  regiments,  com- 
manded by  Col.  John  Waterman,  Dec.  12,  1776."  Of 
these  regiments,  Col.  Waterman,  Col.  Bowen  and  Major 
Medciff  were  commanders.  The  total  number  of  men 
in  them  was  750. 

Col.  John  Waterman,  of  Warwick,  in  January,  1777, 
commanded  the  regiment  which  drove  the  British  from 
the  Island  of  Prudence,  at  the  time  Wallace  landed  and 
burnt  the  houses  upon  the  Island. 

Muster  and  size  roll  of  Recruits  enlisted  for  the  town  of 
"Warwick  for  the  campaign  of  1782: 

Henry  Straight,  Rhodes  Tucker,  Daniel  Hudson,  George 
Westcott,  George  Parker,  Caleb  Mathews,  Nathaniel  Peirce, 
Benjamin  Howard,  Benjamin  Utter,  Stephen  Davis,  Anthony 
Church,  Abel  Beunet,  James  Brown. 

Officers  of  the  Pawtuxet  Rangers  for  1776,  were  Benjamin 
Arnold,  Captain;  Oliver  Arnold,  First  Lieutenant;  Sj'lvester 
Rhodes,  Second  Lieutenant,  and  James  Sheldon,  Ensigu. 

Officers  cf  the  Kentish  Guards  for  1770,  were,  Richard  Fiye, 
Captain;  Hopkins  Cooke,  First  Lieutenant;  Thomas  Holden, 
Second  Lieutenant,  and  Sylvester  Greene,  Ensign. 

Field  officers  of  the  State  for  Kent  County  for  the  year  1780: 
Thomas  Holden,  Colonel  of  the  First  Regiment  of  Militia; 
Thomas  Tillinghast,  Lieutenant  Colonel;  Job  Peirce,  Major. 
Archibald  Kasson,  Colonel  Second  Regiment  of  Militia;  Thos. 
Gorton,  Lieutenant  Colonel;  Isaac  Johnson,  Major. 

Officers  to  command  the  several  trained  bands  or  companies 
of  Militia  within  the  State : 

For  Warwick. — First  Company. — Job  Randall,  Captain;  Jas. 
Arnold,  Lieutenant;  James  Carder,  Ensign. 

Second  Company. — Squire  Miller,  Captain;  James  Jerauld, 
Lieutenant;  John  Stafford,  Ensign. 

Third  Company. — Thomas  Rice,  son  of  Thomas  Rice,  Captain ; 
Anthony  Holden,  Lieutenant;  Stukely  Stafford,  Ensign. 

States  commanded  by  Col.  Greene,  for  April,  1779,  may  be  found  in 
"Spirit  of  '76,"  page  185.  In  the  same  work  are  also  the  lists  of  the 
several  companies. 


124  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1776-1S00. 


The  cessation  of  hostilities  was  announced  by  Wash- 
ington in  general  orders,  April  11,  1783,  just  eight  years 
from  the  battle  of  Lexington,  and  the  joyful  news  was 
forwarded  to  each  town  in  the  State.  The  people  of 
Warwick  hailed  the  announcement  with  gladness.  Her 
soldier  citizens  could  now  return  to  their  homes  and  en- 
gage in  their  ordinary  peaceful  pursuits.  Great  Britain 
had  tested  the  strength  and  valor  of  the  Yankees,*  and 
found  them  greater  than  she  supposed ;  and  Yankee 
Doodle,  the  song  of  contempt  composed  by  a  tory  officer, 
had"  found  a  tune  that  had  inspired  the  American 
soldiery  with  a  patriotic  enthusiasm  that  led  them  on  to 
final  victory. 

In  June"  1795,  the  town  voted  to  hold  their  town 
meetings  in  the  meeting  house  at  Apponaug,  in  case  the 
society  would  allow  them,  otherwise  at  the  house  of 
Caleb  At  wood. 


*  Yankee  and  Yankee  Doodle.— Thatcher  in  his  Military  Journal  (p. 
19,)  gives  the  following  account  of  the  origin  of  the  word  Yankee  and 
of  \ankce  Doodle.  "A  farmer  of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  named  Jonathan 
Hastings,  who  lived  aliout  the  year  1713,  used  it  as  a  favoTite  cant 
word  to  express  excellence;  as  a  Yankee  good  horse,  or  Yankee  good 
cider.  Tlie  students  of  the  college  hearing  him  use  it  a  good  deal, 
adopted  it  and  called  him  Yankee  Jonathan.  Like  other  cant  words, 
it  soon  came  into  general  use.  The  song  "Yankee  Doodle"  was 
written  by  a  British  Sergeant  at  Boston  in  1775,  to  ridicule  the  people 
there  when  the  American  army  under  Washington  was  encamped  at 
Cambridge  and  lloxbu.vy."—Lossing's  Field  Book  of  the  Revolution,  p. 

81.    Note.  .         *   , 

In  Drake's  "American  Indians."  another  derivation  of  the  word 
Yankee  is  given ;  this  takes  it  from  a  Cherokee  word  cankec,  which 
signifies  coward  or  slave,  and  was  bestowed  upon  the  inhabitants  of 
New  England  by  the  Virginians,  because  they  would  not  assist  them 
in  the  war  with  the  Cherokees. 


1800-75.]  VARIOUS   TOWN  LAWS.  1^5 


CHAPTER   VII. 

From  the  year  1S00  to  the  present  time. 

In  June,  1805,  it  was  voted,  to  instruct  the  represent- 
atives in  the  General  Assembly  to  vote  against  the  erec- 
tion of  any  turnpike  gate  within  the  county  of  Kent  "to 
the  injury  of  the  inhabitants  of  said  county." 

In  1808,  there  was  considerable  excitement  in  the  town 
occasioned  b}^  a  bill  before  congress,  for  raising  an  army 
of  fifty  thousand  men,  in  view  of  an  anticipated  war. 
A  town  meeting  was  called,  and  a  series  of  resolutions 
passed  denouncing  the  measure. 

On  April  18,  1810,  it  was  voted  in  town  meeting,  that 
"  the  price  of  labor,  for  an  able-bodied  man,  be  seventy- 
five  cents  per  day,  that  is,  accounting  nine  hours  labor 
for  each  day's  work,  he  finding  the  necessary  tools  "  &c. 

In  June,  1823,  the  Town  Council  were  requested,  in 
future  to  meet  the  second  Monday  of  each  month,  and 
that  "  each  and  every  one  of  the  members  of  the  council 
be  allowed  for  their  services  four  dollars  a  year,  and  that 
the  law  heretofore  passed,  allowing  them  eight  shillings 
per  year,  be,  and  the  same  is  hereby  repealed." 

At  a  town  meeting,  held  Nov.  4,  1856,  Thomas  P. 
Lanphear  was  elected  to  the  General  Assembly,  to  fill 
the  vacanc}'  in  the  town's  representation,  occasioned  by 
the  death  of  Ex-Go  v.  William  Sprague. 

William  Sprague  *  was  one  of  the  stirring  business  men 

*  Three  brothers:  Ralph,  Richard  and  "William,  came  to  this  coun- 
try, in  1628,  and  settled  in  Salem,  Mass.  Their  father,  Edward 
Sprague,  was  a  fuller,  of  TJpway,  Dorsetshire,  England.  Ralph 
Sprague,  was  a  prominent  man,  in  Charlestown,  Mass.  and  one  of  the 

*11 


126  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK.  [1800-75. 

of  his  day  and  belonged  to  a  race  of  manufacturers. 
His  father,  also  named  William,  was  a  cotton  manufac- 
turer and  calico  printer,  and  his  descendants  have  pur- 
sued the  same  business  with  an  energy  and  success  that 
have  made  the  name  of  Sprague  known  in  connection 
with  cotton  manufacture  throughout  the  civilized  world. 
Previous  to  his  election  to  the  Gubernatorial  office,  Mr. 
Sprague  had  been  a  representative  in  Congress,  and  sub- 
sequent to  that  event,  he  was  chosen  United  States  Sen- 
ator, a  position  which  he  retained  until  the  death  of  his 
father  in  1843,  when  the  demands  of  his  business  at 
home  led  him  to  resign  his  seat  in  the  Senate.  Further 
reference  to  him  will  be  made,  in  connection  with  the 
accounts  of  the  villages  of  Natick  and  Arctic.  The  fol- 
lowing letter  from  his  nephew,  ex-Governor  Sprague,  in 
answer  to  a  note  of  enquiry,  gives  some  of  the  prominent 
traits  of  his  character : 

Providence,  8th  June,  1875. 

Rev.  O.  P.  Fuller:— 

Dear  Sir: — Your  note  of  the  7th,  is  before  me.  The  late  ex- 
Governor  Sprague  died  in  1856,  almost  in  my  arms.  My  age  at 
that  period  was  25.  My  occupation  and  observation  had  been 
very  much  restricted  up  to  that  time.  The  burden  that  fell 
upon  me  consequent  on  the  decease  of  the  subject  referred  to, 
occupied  all  my  time,  until  the  war,  and  from  that  time  to  the 
present,  very  many  and  at  times  exciting  incidents  have  oc- 
curred, that  have  in  a  measure  shut  me  off  from  events  and  in- 
cidents connected  with  individuals  with  whom  I  have  associated.  * 
My  memory  is  not  of  that  kind  that  at  will  enables  me  at 
once  to  call  up  without  effort,  incidents  connected  either  with 
men  or  things. 

The  late  ex-Gov.  Sprague  was  an  exceedingly  reticent  man. 
He  seldom  exhibited  feelings  through  which  one  gains  an 
insight  into  character.    I  have  hardly  made  up  my  mind  to-day 


founders  of  the  church  there,  in  1G32;  in  1G30,  the  first  coustable;  a 
representative,  in  1637  ami  eight  times  afterward.  In  1039,  the  Gene- 
ral Court  granted  him  100  acres  of  laud,  "he  having  borne  difficulties 
in  the  beginning."  He  died  in  1G50,  leaving  a  widow,  four  sons  and  a 
daughter.  Richard  Sprague  was  a  merchant,  and  died  Nov.  25,  1668, 
leaving  no  children.  William,  the  youngest,  removed  to  Hingham, 
Mass.,  in  1636,  where  be  died  October  26,  1675,  leaving  eleven  children. 
See  Frothingbam's  Charlestown,  Lincoln's  History  of  Hingham  and 
Hosea  Sprague's  Genealogy  of  the  Sprague  family/ 


1800-75.]  EX  GOV.    WILLIAM   SPRAGUE.  127 


as  to  his  weak  or  strong  traits  of  character,  and  as  to  their 
variety.  Knowing  myself  and  my  own  weaknesses,  I  find  in 
them  much  that  was  similar  in  the  late  ex-Governor.  Me  was 
never  mirthful.  In  that  particular  I  force  myself  to  be  other- 
wise. He  was  of  a  thoughtful  cast  of  mind.  He  lived  within 
himself.  This  gave  him  a  gloomy  appearance,  when  probably 
his  feelings  were  cheerful  and  contented.  The  absence  of 
cheerfulness,  and  it  maybe  of  mirthfulness,  in  the  character  of 
men, is, in  my  opinion,  a  great  hindrance  to  intellectual  and 
spiritual  growth.  As  an  offset  to  this  effect,  if  such  it  was,  ex- 
Grov.  Sprague  possessed  a  physical  structure  unsurpassed.  It 
was  of  the  grandest  character  and  proportions.  I  have  never 
come  in  contact  with  a  man  that  equalled  him  in  that  respect. 
His  skin  was  as  pure  and  untainted  as  that  of  the  most  delicate 
woman.  His  muscles  were  like  steel.  If  his  bones  were  now 
to  be  examined,  they  would  be  found  to  be  nearer  the  con- 
sistency of  ivory  than  those  of  ordinary  men.  Had  the  subject 
before  us  permitted  his  real  nature  its  whole  power  to  act,  free 
from  the  influences  of  his  occupation,  in  fact,  had  he  permitted 
himself  less  excess  in  the  occupation  to  which  he  devoted  him- 
self, the  character  and  power  he  would  have  unfolded  would 
not  have  been  surpassed  by  any  man  of  his  time.  As  it  w^s, 
his  general  success  is  an  evidence  of  his  superiority.  Had  he 
'abandoned  his  reticence,  and  imparted  his  experience  to  the 
young  brain  to  which  he  left  his  business,  he  too  would  have 
had  no  great  catastrophe  to  surmount.  It  was  the  reticence  of 
the  late  ex-Governor  Sprague  in  reference  to  those  connected 
with  him  by  family  ties,  that  in  a  large  measure  may  be 
attributed  the  check  which  has  come  on  his  business  successor. 
I  wish  I  could  give  you  an  insight  into  the  man.  I  cannot 
do  so  now,  without  devoting  more  time  for  reflection  than  I 
have  at  present  command.  I  will  forward  your  note  to  his 
more  immediate  family,  who  will  give  you  dates  of  events  that 
may  make  your  task  easier,  if  in  no  oiher  way.  by  allowing  you 
to  compare  them  with  those  you  may  already  have.  I  would, 
if  I  could,  contribute  more,  than  I  now  have,  to  the  praise  of 
one  whom  I  esteem  as  a  second  father. 

Very  truly  &c, 

W.  Sprague. 

The  resignation  of  Senator  Sprague  left  a  vacancy  in 
the  United  States  Senate,  which  was  filled  by  the  ap- 
pointment of  John  Brown  Francis,  January,  1844.  Mr. 
Francis  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  May  31,  1791.  His 
father  was  John  Francis,  who  married  a  daughter  of 
John  Brown,  a  merchant  of  Providence.  Gov.  Francis' 
first  wife  was  Anne  Carter  Brown,  daughter  of  Nicholas 


128  HISTORY   OF  WARWICK.  [1800-75. 

Brown,  whom  he  married  in  1822.  She  died  in  1828, 
leaving  two  daughters,  one  of  whom  is  the  wife  of  Mar- 
shall Woods,  Esq.,  of  Providence.  In  1832,  he  married 
his  cousin,  whose  maiden  name  was  also  Francis.  Gov. 
Francis  died  August  9,  1864,  and  Mrs.  Francis,  June  14, 
1866.  Of  this  marriage  there  were  four  children  of  whom 
two  are  now  living.  John  Brown  Francis,  jr.,  the  only- 
son,  died  in  Rome,  of  typhoid  fever,  Feb.  24,  1870.  Gov. 
Francis  graduated  at  Brown  University,  in  1808. 
Though  of  a  somewhat  retiring  disposition,  he  was  early 
called  into  public  life,  and  held  many  offices  of  trust. 
He  belonged  at  first  to  the  old  Federal  party,  and  subse- 
quently to  the  Democratic  party.  He  was  moderator  of 
the  town  meetings  for  many  years  in  succession,  inter- 
ested in  the  public  schools  of  the  town,  and  from  1824  to 
1829  represented  the  town  in  the  General  Assembly.  In 
1833,  he  was  nominated  for  Governor  by  the  Antimasons 
and  Jackson  men,  and  elected,  and  was  annually  re- 
elected until  1839.  He  was  elected  Chancellor  of  Brown 
University  in  1841,  and  held  the  office  until  1854,  when 
he  resigned.  Gov.  Francis  had  an  unusually  fine,  and 
commanding  appearance.  He  was  affable,  courtly  and 
dignified  in  his  manners,'and  was  one  of  the  most  popu- 
lar men  of  his  day.  Inheriting  an  ample  fortune,  and 
possessed  naturally  of  a  sympathetic,  generous  nature, 
he  was  always  found  to  be  a  friend  to  those  who  needed 
his  counsels  or  his  purse.  He  lived,  and  died  at  Spring 
Green,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town. 

In  June,  1855,  a  proposition  was  made  to  divide  the 
town  into  voting  districts.  The  subject  was  referred  to 
the  November  meeting,  at  which  time  the  proposition 
was  laid  upon  the  table.  At  this  meeting,  a  proposition 
being  before  the  General  Assembly,  for  the  setting  off  of 
Potowomut  from  this  town,  and  joining  it  to  East  Green- 
wich, it  was  voted  : 

"That  the  Senator  and  ^Representatives  of  this  town,  be,  and 
they  are  hereby  instructed  to  oppose,  try  all  honorable  means, 
the  Granting  of  the  Prayer  of  the  Petition  of  John  F.  Greene, 
et.  al."    "Voted,  that  John  Brown  Francis,  John  K.  Waterman, 


1800-75.]  RICHARD    WARD    GREENE.  129 

Simon  Henry  Greene,  William  Sprague,  Cyrus  Harris  and 
Benedict  Lapham,  be  a  committee,  with  full  power  to  employ 
counsel,  arid  do  all  things  necessary  to  the  proper  conducting 
of  the  opposition  of  this  town  to  said  petition." 

The  efforts  of  this  committee  were  successful,  and 
this  fair  portion  of  the  town's  domain,  the  birth-place  of 
General  Nathaniel  Greene,  aud  the  residence  of  the  late 
Chief  Justice  Richard  Ward  Greene,  remains  still  a  part 
of  the  town,  though  separated  from  it  by  the  waters  of 
Coweset  Bay. 

Judge  Greene,  wlio  died  a  few  months  ago,  will  be  regarded 
as  one  of  the  foremost,  among  the  honored  names  of  this  state. 
His  stately,  dignified  form  impressed  even  the  stranger. 
Straight  as  an  arrow,  even  at  four-score  years,  and  standing 
over  six  feet,  deliberate  in  his  motions,  his  physical  presence 
inspired  respect,  in  addition  to  his  wisdom  and  his  years.  He 
was  born  early  in  the  year  1792,  and  died  in  the  84th  year  of 
his  age.  He  was  the  son  of  Christopher  and  Deborah  Ward 
Greene.  His  mother  was  a  daughter  of  Governor  Samuel 
Ward.  He  was  educated  at  Brown  University,  and  at  the  time 
of  his  death  was  one  of  its  trustees.  He  studied  law  at  the 
Litchfield  Law  School,  an  institution  which  graduated  many  of 
the  wisest  and  best  lawyers  of  the  American  bar.  The  occa- 
sion of  his  death  afforded  his  associates  an  opportunhVy  to  bear 
willing  testimony  to  his  worth. 

What  efforts  were  made  for  the  education  of  the  chil- 
dren of  this  town  during  the  first  seventy-five  years  of 
its  settlement  it  is  impossible  at  this  time  to  determine. 
Though  it  is  probable  that  educational  privileges  were 
limited,  it  is  not  likely  that  the  rising  generation  were 
allowed  to  gr6w  up  in  utter  ignorance  of  the  elementary 
branches  of  knowledge.  The  character  of  the  pioneers 
of  this  town  preclude  such  a  conclusion.  The  inhabi- 
tants were  few  in  number,  but  a  fair  proportion  of  them 
were  possessed  of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence. 
Their  school  privileges  and  the  methods  of  instruction 
were  of  such  a  character,  however,  as  to  find  no  place  in 
the  records  of  the  town.  Nor  should  we  expect  it  to  be 
otherwise,  when  we  consider  that  the  instruction  of  chil- 
dren was  not  considered  to  be  the  duty  of  the  public 
until  recently.      The  schools  at  this  time  were  wholly  of 


130  HISTOIiY   OF   WABWICK.  [1800-75. 


a  private  character  until  the  inauguration  of  the  public 
school  system,  within  the  past  half  century  :  though  for 
many  years  previous  to  that  event  there  was  a  gradual 
progress  toward  that  system.  Early  in  the  last  century 
there  are  intimations  in  the  town  records  (see  account 
of  Old  Warwick  on  a  subsequent  page)  of  such  schools  in 
operation,  which,  though  of  a  private  character,  afforded 
privileges  to  all  who  chose  to  avail  themselves  of  them. 
As  the  last  century  closed,  and  the  present  dawned,  in- 
creased interest  was  manifested  in  the  subject  of  educa- 
tion, and  several  societies  were  incorporated  by  the 
General  Assembly  for  this  object. 

The  "Warwick  North  School  Society  was  incorporated, 
March,  1794;  the  "Warwick  West  School  Society," 
May,  1803  ;  the  "Warwick  Central  School  Society,"  Feb., 
1804,  and  the  "  Warwick  Library  Society,"  May,  1814. 
The  Rhode  Island  Register  for  the  year  1820,  states  that 
"Warwick  contains  ten  schools  and  two  social  libraries."* 

At  the  inauguration  of  the  public  school  system  in 
the  State,  a  new  impetus  was  given  to  the  subject  of 
education  ;  town  school  committees  were  appointed  to 
have  the  general  oversight  of  the  schools,  the  town  was 
divided  into  districts,  and  appropriations  of  mone}-  for 
their  support  was  made  thereafter  annually.  The  fol- 
lowing persons  were  chosen  the  school  committee  for 
the  year  1829  :  John  Brown  Francis,  Thomas  Remington, 
Joseph  W.  Greene,  George  A.  Brayton,  Augustus 
G.  Millard,  Flisha  Brown,  Franklin  Greene,  Henry 
Tatem,  Daniel  Rhodes.  Thomas  Holden,  Jeremiah 
Greene,  Sion  A.  Rhodes,  Rice  A.  Brown  and  Waterman 
Clapp.  The  committee  of  which,  George  A.  Brayton, 
late  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  this  State, 
was  the  Secretary,  made  a  report  in  behalf  of  the  com- 
mittee, embracing  the  preceding  year  also,  (no  report 
of  the  year   1828    having    been    previously   made),  in 

*  It  also  states,  that  there  are  in  the  town  520  dwelling  houses,  15 
cotton  factories,  2  woolen  factories,  one  anchor  forge,  one  giu  distil- 
lery, 12  grain  mills,  20  dry  goods  and  grocery  stores,  and  three  druggist 
stores. 


1800-75.]  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS.  131 

which  a  detailed  account  of  their  labors  is  given.  This 
report  states  that  the  committee  was  organized  on  the 
21st  of  June,  1828,  and  proceeded  to  divide  the  town 
into  suitable  districts  and  make  arrangements  for  suitable 
places  in  which  to  hold  the  schools.  They  divided  the 
town  into  eleven  districts.  The  Crompton  district  was 
set  off  in  1830.  The  number  of  scholars  attending  the 
schools  in  1829  was  reported  as  763,  and  the  amount  of 
money  expended,  $908  50.  In  1830,  the  number  of 
scholars  had  increased  to  840. 

In  November,  1845,  an  unsuccessful  attempt  was  made 
to  induce  the  town  to  provide  convenient  school-houses 
for  the  several  districts.  The  matter  came  up  the  following 
year  again,  when  it  was  again  decided  to  leave  the  several 
districts  to  provide  for  their  wants  in  this  respect.  It 
was  soon  found  necessary  to  appoint  some  individual, 
whose  duty  it  should  be  to  superintend  the  schools,  to 
examine  candidates  for  teaching,  visit  the  schools  at 
stated  intervals,  and  report  their  condition,  with  such 
suggestions  for  their  improvement  as  in  his  judgment 
seemed  desirable  ;  and  at  a  town  meeting  held  Feb.  18, 
1848,  the  committee  were  authorized  to  employ  a  suita- 
able  person  for  this  purpose,  at  an  expense  to  the  town 
of  not  exceeding  fifty  dollars.  This  amount  has  been 
gradually  increased  to  $200.  The  following  persons  have 
served  the  town  as  superintendents :  Rev.  Zalmon 
Tobey,  Rev.  Geo.  A.  Willard,  Rev.  Benjamin  Phelan, 
Oliver  P.  Fuller,  Ira  O.  Seamans  Esq.,  Wm.  V.  Slocum, 
Esq.,  and  John  F.  Brown,  Esq. 

There  has  been  a  gradual  increase  of  the  number  of 
scholars  and  expenditures  of  money,  a  better  class  of 
text-books,  and  a  more  thoroughly  qualified  class  of 
teachers  as  time  has  advanced,  but  whether  the  children 
of  the  town  as  they  leave  the  schools  are  generally 
better  informed  than  those  of  a  score  of  years  ago, 
may  be  a  question.  A  larger  number  leave  the  public 
schools  at  an  earlier  age  than  formerly,  which  would 
lower  the  geneial  standard  of  intelligence  in  a  commu- 
nity.    A  few  do  this  to  enter  schools  of  a  higher  grade, 


132  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK.  [1800-75 

but  a  larger  class,  especially  those  whose  parents  are  of 
foreign  birth,  to  enter  the  mills  and  earn  their  living. 
The  annual  expenditures  for  the  schools  of  this  town  have 
advanced  from  13,685  61  for  the  year  1854,  85,162  15 
in  1860,  $10,274  50  in  1870,  to  $11,261  07  in  1874. 
The  report  of  the  school  committee  for  the  year 
1874-5,  gives  the  number  of  districts  as  sixteen, — Arctic 
not  included — three  of  which,  Natick,  Phenix  and  Kiver- 
point,  have  three  departments ;  four  of  the  remainder 
have  two  departments,  viz.  :  Centreville,  Apponaug, 
Crompton  and  Pontiac;  the  remainder  one  only.  Num- 
ber of  boys  registered,  857;  .  number  of  girls,  787. 
Average  cost  per  scholar  the  preceding  year,  $6  75. 

The  rebellion  against  the  United  States  government 
assumed  a  positive  form  by  the  bombardment  of  Fort 
Sumpter  on  the  12th  day  of  April,  1861.  On  the  15th 
of  the  same  month  the  President  issued  his  proclamation 
for  seventy-five  thousand  men,  and  the  next  day  Gov. 
Sprague  issued  his  order  for  the  immediate  organiza- 
tion of  the  First  Regiment.  On  the  20th,  a  detach- 
ment of  that  regiment  was  on  its  way  to  Washington. 
The  work  of  recruiting  was  pursued  vigorously,  the 
several  towns  of  the  State  vying  with  each  other  in 
making  up  their  quotas.  The  amount  paid  by  this  town 
for  bounties  to  soldiers  during  the  progress  of  the  war, 
was  $94,214  52:  amount  paid  in  aid  of  families  of  vol- 
unteers, $28,183  26  ;  aggregate  disbursements  for  war 
purposes,  $122,397  78  ;  amount  assumed  and  repaid  by 
the  State,  $31,800  00,  leaving  the  actual  expense  of  the 
town  for  war  purposes,  $90,597  78.  * 

*  Adjutant  General's  Eeport  for  18)5. 


ACCOUNTS   OF   THE   ORIGIN  AND  DEVELOPMENT 

OF  THE   SEVERAL   VILLAGES  IN  THE 

TOWN   OF  WARWICK. 


134  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


Sketches  of  the  Origin  and  Development  of  the  Several  Villages 
in  the  Town  of  Warwick. 

Before  giving  a  specific  account  of  the  several  villages 
that  form  so  important  portions  of  the  town  of  Warwick, 
let  us  in  fancy  ascend  one  or  two  of  the  surrounding 
hill  tops  and  take  a  bird's  eye  view  of  them.  The 
scenery  from  them  is  one  of  rare  grandeur  and  beauty. 
Not  so  extensive,  it  is  true,  as  may  be  obtained  from  the 
summit  of  Mt.  Washington  and  other  noted  elevations, 
but  one  that  will  amply  repay  the  necessary  effort  to 
observe  it.  Nearly  a  score  of  thriving  manufacturing 
villages,  strung  together  like  beads  upon  a  string,  full  of 
busy  industiy,  nestling  along  the  two  branches  of  the 
river,  that  gives  the  village  its  name,  may  be  seen  at  a 
single  glance — each  possessing  its  peculiar  features  of 
interest,  and  altogether  forming  a  community  of  thrift 
and  enterprise  that  has  borne  an  important  part  in 
making  our  little  State  noted  beyond  her  limited  bounda- 
ries. 

One  of  the  best  views  may  be  had  from  Prospect  Hill, 
a  point  on  the  New  London  turnpike,  midway  between 
the  villages  of  Centreville  and  Natick,  and  the  best  time, 
the  morning,  when  the  sun  from  the  east  sends  his  full 
beams  over  the  surrounding  landscape.  To  the  east- 
ward and  ten  miles  distant  lies  the  earliest  settled 
portion  of  the  town,  called  originally  Shawomet,  but  of 
late  years,  Old  Warwick,  with  the  pleasant  sea-side 
summer  resorts  of  Rocky  Point,  Oakland  Beach  and 
Buttonwood  Beach,  and  nearer  in  the  same  direction  the 
village  of  Apponaug.  Almost  at  our  feet  is  the  cosy 
little  hamlet  of  Arctic,  upon  the   south  branch,  of  the 


WARWICK   VILLAGES.  135 


Pawtuxet  *  river,  with  its  spacious  mill  and. cleanly  sur- 
roundings, its  regular  rows  of  tenement  houses,  skirted 
with  trees,  the  whole  reminding  one  of  a  miniature 
kingdom  of  children's  toy-houses,  with  the  mill  as  the 
palace  of  the  king.  To  the  southward  lie  the  villages 
of  Centreville  and  Crompton,  with  their  manufactories, 
churches  and  dwellings  embowered  with  trees,  whose 
heavy  foilage  adds  increasing  beauty  to  the  scene.  Still 
farther  off,  bearing  to  the  right,  in  homage  to  the  river, 
we  behold  the  village  of  Quidneck,  with  the  old  "  Tin 
Top,"  as  a  prominent  object,  and  still  beyond,  the 
village  of  Anthony,  with  its  mammoth  new  mill ;  these 
last  two  villages  being  in  the  town  of  Coventry. 
Washington  lies  just  beyond.  These  commencing  with 
River  Point  at  our  right  and  out  of  view  from  this  posi- 
tion, form  the  seven  principal  villages  of  the  south  branch 
of  the  Pawtuxet. 

Starting  again  at  our  immediate  right  at  River  Point, 
where  the  two  branches  of  the  river  unite,  and  following 
the  north  branch  we  have  before  us  the  village  of  Clyde, 
with  the  extensive  works  of  Hon.  Simon  II.  Greene  & 
Sons,  Lippitt,  Phenix,  Harrisville,  Arkwright  and  the  less 
distinctly  visible  ones  of  Fiskville,  Jackson  and  Hope. 
Each  lying  apparently  quiet  between  the  wooded  hills 
that  loom  up  on  either  side,  but  teeming  with  an 
active,  busy  population.  The  last  five  mentioned  lie 
without  the  boundaries  of  Warwick,  but  belong  essen- 
tially to  the  Pawtuxet  family. 

Moving  a  few  rods  to  the  eastward  to  the  brow  of  the 
hill,  we  have  another  view,  still  more  extensive.  At 
our  feet  nearly,  lies  the  village  of  Natick  with  its  large 
cotton   mills,  which    take  the  full  flow  of  the  united 

branches  of  the  Pawtuxet  with  Pontiac  a  mile   or  two 

— — — ■ 1 

*  Pawtuxet  is  an  indian  name,  as  also  Pawtucket  and  Pawcatuck, 
all  names  of  rivers  in  Rhode  Island.  Pawtucket  is  said  to  signify 
great  falls  ;  Pawtuxet,  little  falls,  and  Pawcatuck,  no  falls,  but  I  do 
not  vouch  for  them.  Williams  in  his  key  to  the  Indian  language  does 
not  give  their  meaning.  Judge  Potter  says  Pawtucket  means  a 
"union  of  two  rivers  and  a  fall  into  tide  water,  because  there  the 
fresh  water  falls  into  salt".  —  [Pequot  Testimonies,  p.  266. 


136  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK. 


beyond.  Thence  onward  the  State  Farm  in  Cranston, 
and  in  the  distance,  Providence,  Warren,  Bristol,  Fall 
Kiver  and  Newport.  The  best  time  for  this  view  is  in 
the  afternoon,  when  the  sun  is  shining  upon  them  from 
the  west. 

An  equally  extensive  and  no  less  beautiful  view  may 
be  obtained  from  the  eminence  on  Woodside  avenue, 
near  the  residence  of  the  late  J.  W.  A.  Greene,  on  the 
afternoon  of  a  clear  day.  If  the  view  is  taken  from 
these  positions  on  a  moonless  and  cloudless  night  of 
winter,  when  the  stars  overhead  seem  reflected  by  the 
numerous  lights  below,  the  brilliantly  lighted  mills 
appear  like  so  many  new  constellations;  and  after  gazing 
awhile  in  dreamy  wonder,  one  is  inclined  to  forget  which 
is  the  true  firmament. 

The  little  streams  that  squirm  their  way  through 
these  villages,  are  very  industrious,  providing  the  princi- 
pal and  during  a  greater  part  of  the  year  almost  the 
sole  power  for  driving  the  machinery  of  some  thirty 
large  cotton  mills,  with  the  necessary  machine  shops  for 
repairs,  with  gristmills,  sawmills,  &c.  Each  village 
flows  the  water  back  to  the  one  above  it,  and  thus  form 
a  succession  of  watery  steps  from  the  reservoirs  to  the 
sea.  Beside  this,  and  when  about  exhausted  from  these 
accumulated  labors,  it  very  benevolently  devotes  itself 
to  the  domestic  and  mechanical  uses  of  the  good  people 
of  Providence.  So  that  we  may  regard  the  Pawtuxet 
river,  not  only  as  a  very  benevolent  and  hard  working 
river,  but  in  some  restricted  sense  as  a  Rhode  Island 
Institution.  To  it  we  owe  especially  the  present  pros- 
perity of  the  villages  along  its  banks,  and  in  a  large 
measure  their  very  existence.* 

*  In  the  year  1858,  Hon.  Henry  Rousmaniere.  then  a  resident  of  this 
town,  published  a  series  of  articles  in  the  Providence  Daily  Journal, 
entitled  "Letters  from  the  Pawtuxet,"  giving  a  detailed  account  of 
the  rise  and  development  of  most  of  the  villages  situated  along 
he  line  of  the  river,  abounding  in  historical,  genealogical  and 
traditional  matter.  Mr.  Rousmaniere  was  State  Commissioner  of 
Public  Schools  in  the  State,  and  died  in  Providence  several  years 
ago.  The  "Letters"  are  honorably  mentioned  by  Lieut.  Governor 
Arnold  in  his  history   of  Rhode  Island,   and  in  a  recent  conversa- 


EASTERN   PART    OP    THE   TOWN.  137 


Old  Warwick. 

Under  this  head  we  propose  to  speak  of  the  eastern 
portion  of  the  town,  or  that  part  lying  east  of  the  village 
of  Apponaug.  The  term,  Old  Warwick,  applies  strictly 
to  only  the  "  Neck,"  and  its  immediate  vicinity.  As  the 
eastern  part  of  the  town  was  the  earliest  portion  settled, 
and  the  only  part  until  after  King  Philip's  War,  the 
chief  items  of  interest  pertaining  to  it  have  already  been 
mentioned  in  connection  with  the  general  history  of  the 
town.  There  are  some  others  of  minor  importance  that 
will  be  mentioned  in  this  connection.  Pawtuxet  village 
in  the  northeasterly  part  was  the  abode  of  William 
Arnold,  Robert  Coles,  William  Carpenter  and  Benedict 
Arnold,  who  in  1642,  placed  themselves  and  their  lands 
under  the  protection  of  Massachusetts,  and  became  a 
source  of  considerable  vexation  to  their  neighbors  at 
Shawomet.  The  difficulties  were  finally  settled  and  the 
people  and  their  lands  on  the  south  side  of  the  river  were 
united  to  those  of  Warwick.  Pawtuxet  was  the  earliest 
settled  portion  of  the  territory  within  the  present  limits  of 
the  town.     Of  its  local  history  the  writer  is  not  familiar. 

The  early  name  of  Warwick,  and  the  one  now  applied 
by  some  to  Old  Warwick,  was  Shawomet  or  Mishawo- 
met,  which  is  an  Indian  term  for  a  spring.  It  was  the 
name  also  early  applied  to  territory  on  which  Boston  is 
situated — called  sometimes  Shawmut,  and  is  also  applied 
to  a  neck  of  land  running  from  Slade's  ferry,  southwest, 
near  Tiverton.  There  are  several  Indian  names  con- 
nected with  portions   of  territory  or  bodies  of  water  in  * 


t ion  with  Judge  Brayton,  the  latter  spoke  of  them  in  a  commend- 
atory manner.  Iu  the  course  of  their  publication,  Mr.  R.  corrected 
some  of  the  statements  made  in  the  earlier  numbers,  and  probably 
would  have  made  others  had  he  revised  them  for  a  more  permanent 
form  of  publication.  I  have  made  a  very  free  use  of  these  let- 
ters in  the  following  pages,  verifying  the  statements  so  far  as  was 
practicable.  There  is  always  considerable  risk  in  detailing  events  of 
a  semi-historical  or  traditional  nature,  especially  when  they  come 
within  the  period  of  persons  now  living,  aud  only  from  the  considera- 
tion that  much  care  and  toil  has  been  expended  in  their  preparation, 
are  they  presented  in  these  pages. 

*12 


138  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

this  part  of  the  town.     Occupasnetuxet,  or  as  it  is  printed 
in  Walling's  map,  Occu-Pas-Pawtuxet,  Cove,  the  Senior 
John  Greene  estate,  now   owned  in  part  by  the  heirs 
of    the    late    Governor    Francis;     Ouchamanunkanet, 
meadow,  southwest  and  near  Pawtuxet ;  Pasipucham- 
muck  or  Paschuchammuck,  Cove,  which  is  the  old  mill 
cove  at  Conimicut;  Tuskatucket  brook,   between  Appo- 
naug  and  Old  Warwick ;  Chopequonset  point,  a  mile 
south  of  Pawtuxet ;  Weeweonk  or  Waw  weonke  creek, 
on   the  Nawsauket  shore ;  Wechenama  or  Nonganeck 
meadow,  between  Old  Warwick  and  Pawtuxet   river ; 
Posneganset,  or  Punhanganset  or  Pushaneganset  pond, 
now  called  the  George  Arnold  pond,  southwest  of  Paw- 
tuxet village.     These  names  have  for  the  most  part  been 
superseded  by  those  of  English  origin,  and  of  easier  pro- 
nunciation.    Occupasnetuxet  designated  in  early  times, 
not  only  the  cove,  but  the  land  of  the  pioneer,  John 
Greene,  in  its  vicinity.     The  south  portion  in  later  times 
became  known  as  Passtuxet,  and  on  this  portion  was  his 
residence.*     His  house  was  probably  very  near  the  site 
of  the  present  residence  of  Mr.  Edward  A.  Cole.     An 
old  cellar  near  the  spot  many  years  ago,  probably  indi- 
cated the   exact   site.      John    Greene's   land   extended 
nearly  to  Conimicut  Point.  In  1783,  the  northern  portion, 
inherited  by  Major  John  Greene  (see  page  69),  was  pur- 
chased by  John  Brown,  and  subsequently  by  inheritance 
came  into  possession  of  its  present  owners,   children  of 
the  late  Gov.    John   Brown   Francis.     John  Brown  in 
view  of  the  fact  that  its  ownership  changed  in  the  spring- 
time when  everything  was  beginning  to  look  fresh  and 
beautiful,    and  also  in  recognition  of  its  former  occu- 
pants, named  it  Spring  Green,  by  which  term  it  is  still 
known.     It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  spots  in  the 
town,  with  delightful  water  views  to  the  eastward,  and 
well-kept  lawns   and   groves,    and   comprises  a  tract  of 

*  A  statement  on  page  31  conveys  the  impression  that  John  Greene, 
Senior,  resided  on  what  is  now  the  Spring  Greeue  estate,  which  is 
erroneous.  The  statement  should  have  been  ihat,  lie  "lived  and  died 
at  Occupassnetuxet,"  the  northern  portion  of  which  is  "now  known 
as  Spring  Green,  or  the  Gov.  Francis  Estate." 


RANDALL   HOLDEN    HOUSE. 


139 


about  seven  hundred  acres.  Near  by  is  Namquid  Point, 
where  the  Gaspee  was  destroyed.  The  old  and  spacious 
mansion  house,  with  its  various  additions  made  from 
time  to  time,  dates  back  to  somewhere  in  the  seven- 
teenth century.  Near  by  is  an  old  cone-shaped  ice 
house,  which  if  not  the  first  one  built  in  the  State,  is 
probably  the  oldest  one  now  in  existence.  In  a  carriage 
house  is  an  ancient  chariot,  which  had  the  honor  of 
bearing  Gen.  Washington  over  Rhode  Island  territory, 
when  he  made  his  visit  to  the  State  in  August,  1790. 
The  body  of  the  old  vehicle  is  suspended  on  heavy 
thorough  braces  attached  to  heavy  iron  holders  as  large 
as  a  man's  wrist,  the  forward  ones  so  curved  as  to  allow 
the  forward  wheels  to  pass  under  them,  in  order  that  the 
chariot  may  be  turned  within  a  short  compass.  The 
chariot  has  but  one  seat  for  passengers,  which  will  ac- 
commodate two  persons,  and  an  elevated  seat  for  the 
driver,  which  is  separate  from  the  main  body.  The 
wheels  are  heavy,  the  hind  ones  twice  the  height  of  the 
forward  ones,  the  tires  of  which  are  attached  to  the 
felloes  in   several  distinct  pieces.     It  is  an  interesting 


and  odd  looking-  vehicle. 


THE   OLD     RANDALL     HOLDEN     HOUSE. 
(From  a  pencil  sketch  by  Mrs.  John  W.  Greene.) 


140  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

The  Randall  H olden  house  was  situated  on  the  north 
side  of  main  street,  about  ten  feet  east  of  the  present 
new  house  of  Mr.  Wrn.    Spencer.     The  ancient  well  is 
still  used.     It  was  one  of  the  most  ancient  houses  of  the 
town,  and  was   always  known  as  the  Randall   Holden 
house,  though  it  is  not  certain  that  it  belonged  to  the 
pioneer  of  that  name.     His  grandchildren  are  known  to 
have  lived  in  it.     It  was  taken  down  fifteen  or  twenty 
years  ago,  and  a  portion  of  the  material  was  used  in  the 
erection  of  the  house  now  situated  about  a  mile  to  the 
westward.      Randall   Holden,  Senior,  married  Frances 
Clark,    daughter   of   Jeremiah    and   Frances  (Latham) 
Clark.*     There  is  a  portrait  of  Lewis  Latham,  father  of 
Frances   Latham,     extant,   now   in    possession   of    Mr. 
Lewis  Greene,  of  Old  Warwick.     Randall  Holden  (see 
page  24),  died  July  23,  1692,  aged  80  years.     His  son, 
Randall,   died  at  the  same  age,  in    1726,   and  like  his 
father   was   called  to  important  public  positions  in  the 
colony.     In   1696   he   was  a  Deputy  for  Warwick ;  in 
1703,  a  committee,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  reported 
a  "  settlement  of  the  boundary  between  Connecticut  and 
Rhode  Island,"  and  in  Oct.   28,  1719,  he  was  one  of  a 
committee  to  run  the  lines  and  make  a  chart  of  the 
colony  to  be  sent  home  to  the  English  government. f 

The  old  Lippitt  house,  still  standing  at  the  head  of 
the  Warwick  Neck  road,  claims  a  passing  notice,  not 
less  from  its  antiquity,  than  from  the  associations  con- 
nected with  it.  It  was  the  residence  of  Jeremiah 
Lippitt,  who  was  Town  Clerk  for  thirty-three  years  pre- 
vious to  1776,  and  the  last  place  in  this  section  of  the 
town,  in  which  the  town  records  were  kept  for  any  con- 
siderable length  of  time.  When  the  house  was  repaired 
in  1848,  on  removing  the  clapboards  from  the  front  por- 
tion, the  marks  of  the  stoop  over  the  door,  and  also  the 
show    window    of    the    southeast   room,    in    which    the 

*  For  many  of  the  statements  pertaining  to  this  section  of  tbe  town, 
I  am  indebted  to  Mrs.  John  Wickes  Greene,  a  lady  of  considerable 
antiquarian  researcb. 

t  Material  for  a  genealogical  account  of  thu  Holden  family  is  being 
gathered  by  Frederick  A.  Holden,  Esq.,  Washington,  D.  (J.* 


EARLY   BURIAL  PLACES.  141 

records  were  kept,  were  distinctly  visible.  It  was  a 
place  of  common  resort  for  those  who  wished  to  learn 
the  news  and  discuss  the  various  topics  of  the  day, 
sharing  the  honors  in  this  respect  with  the  taverns  and 
other  places  of  public  resort. 

Frequent  mention  is  made  in  the  records  of  town 
meetings  being  held  at  the  house  of  Mary  Carder.  She 
was  the  widow  of  John,  son  of  Richard  Carder,  and  a 
daughter  of  Randall  Holden,  Senior.  She  survived  her 
husband  many  years.  Her  house  stood  about  five  hun- 
dred feet  west  of  the  road  leading  to  the  "  Neck,"  near 
the  present  town  pound.  It  was  demolished  about 
twenty-five  years  ago,  having  been  used  as  a  barn  for 
many  years  previous  to  that  event. 

The  burial  places  in  the  vicinity  are  quite  numerous. 
Each  family  in  early  times  having  one  of  its  own  upon 
their  land.  The  first  interments  in  the  town  were  made 
upon  land  originally  belonging  to  the  Senior  John 
Greene,  and  now  in  possession  of  Mr.  Edward  A.  Cole. 
In  a  pasture  on  Mr.  Cole's  land  is  a  tomb-stone  bearing 
the  following  inscription  : 

Here  lieth  the  bodie  of  Sarah  Tefft;  interred  March  16, 
1642,  in  the  67th  year  of  her  age. 

The  above  is  a  copy  from  the  original  stone  taken  from  this 
spot,  and  deposited  with  the  R.  I.  His.  Society,  in  Providence. 

Erected  in  1868,  by  Rufus  Greene,  of  Providence,  a  de- 
scendant of  7th  Gen.  from  John  Greene,  from  Salisbury,  Eng., 
in  1035,  who  was  one  of  the  original  purchasers  of  these  lands 
from  Miantonomi,  in  the  year  1642. 

The  original  stone  at  the  grave  of  Sarah  Tefft,  was 
probably  the  earliest  evidence  of  human  mortality,  of 
the  kind,  that  the  Warwick  settlers  left  to  their  posterity. 
There  are  other  graves  near  by,  and  at  the  head  of  one 
of  them  a  stone  bearing  the  name  of  Elizabeth  Stone, 
with  the  date,  1707.  The  wives  of  John  Greene  and 
Robert  Potter,  who  died  irom  fright  and  exposure  when 
the  settlers  were  arrested  and  carried  to  Boston  in  the 
fall  of  1643,  were  probably  buried  near  this  spot  and 
probably  John  Greene,  himself,  though  there  is  nothing 
certain  in  regard  to  it.     Other  spots  have  been   pointed 


I42  HISTORY   OF  WARWICK. 

out  as  having  some  claims  to  this  honor.  At  this  time 
the  pioneers  were  hardly  settled  in  their  new  homes, 
and  the  fact  that  an  interment  had  been  made  in  this 
spot  in  1642,  suggests  that  others  dying  so  soon  after- 
wards would  be  likely  to  be  buried  in  the  same  place. 
Up  to  1663  (see  page  60),  it  seems  to  have  been  the 
intention  of  the  settlers  to  provide  some  place  where 
they  could  all  be  associated  in  death  as  they  had  been  in 
life.  This  idea  was,  however,  subsequently  abandoned, 
and  each  family  provided  a  suitable  spot  for  itself.  The 
Randall  Holden  ground  is  near  that  of  the  Wickes',  at 
the  head  of  the  cove.  One  of  the  old  places  now  nearly 
obliterated  is  about  one  hundred  feet  from  the  present 
school  house.  "  One  of  the  graves  was  that  of  Mr. 
Emmett,  -v\ho  was  a  school  teacher  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  took  place  in  the  year  1727.  Good  sub- 
stantial slate  stones  with  suitable  inscriptions  marked 
the  place  of  his  interment  until  the  vandalism  that 
came  in  with  our  free  schools  broke  them  up."*  The  land 
around  this  spot  was  a  common  down  to  within  a  recent 
period,  and  an  orchard  occupied  a  portion  of  it.  Some 
of  the  trees  ot  which  were  standing  to  a  comparative 
late  date.  A  public  burial  place  was  laid  out  previous 
to  Feb.  20,  1663,  and  referred  to  under  that  date,  with  a 
lot  for  a  town  house  adjoining — '"ye  buryinge  place 
layd  out  for  ye  towne  is  eight  poles  squaer,  joinging  to  ye 
western  end  of  Peter  Burzecott's  aker  of  land," — but 
its  exact  location  I  have  not  been  able  to  determine. 
Perhaps  this  may  be  the  spot  referred  to.  The  town 
house  probably  failed  of  completion,  though  some  pre- 
parations were  made  toward  the  building.  The  Indian 
war  that  broke  out  a  few  years  after,  possibly  interfered 
with  the  good  intentions  of  the  people  in  that  particular, 
or  if  it  was  built  it  perished  in  the  general  destruction 
of  the  war.  The  lot  was  early  appropriated  for  school 
purposes,  and  the  school  house  was  used  for  the  town 
meetings,  as  the  following  act  of  the  town  indicates: 


*  Several  of  these  items  are  contributed  by  John  Holden,  Esq. 


EAKLY   SCHOOLS    AND   TEACHERS.  143 


"At  a  town  meeting  held  in  "Warwick  at  the  house  of  Capt. 
James  Carder,  this  18th  of  January,  1715-16,  Mr.  Eichard 
Greene.  Moderator,  Voated.  that  whereas  a  house  hath  lately 
bin  built  upon  the  town  orchard  for  a  schoole  hous  and  great 
part  of  the  charge  hath  bin  paid  by  some  partickular  persons, 
therefore  upon  further  consideration,  It  is  surrendered  up  to 
be  for  the  use  of  the  towne  for  towne  meetings  upon  occasions 
only.  Keserving  the  liberty  that  it  may  be  still  for  the  use  of 
a  schoole  hous  lor  themselves  and  the  rest  ot  the  town  that 
shall  see  cause  and  remaining  part  of  the  cost  and  charge  to 
be  paid  by  a  rat3  levied  upon  the  whole  towne  the  sum  of  thir- 
teene  pounds  in  money  or  pay  equivalent,  to  be  paid  to  those 
that  built  the  hous  as  ab^ve  s'd  to  be  paid  out  of  the  next 
towne  rate,  therefore  we  the  proprietors  for  further  encourage- 
ment of  the  said  schoole  wee  d<>e  by  these  presents  Ennex  the 
above  said  lot  and  orchard  thereunto  for  the  use  of  said 
schoole." 

This  school  house  probably  went  to  decay  before  the 
century  closed,  as  Hon.  John  R.  Waterman,  who  was 
born  Feb.  19,  1783,  says  he  went  to  school  in  what 
was  then  known  as  the  new  school  house.  It 
stood  very  near  the  church.  A  good  pencil  sketch  of  it 
is  preserved  in  the  family  of  Mr.  Waterman.  Among 
the  earlier  teachers  remembered  by  Mr.  Waterman,  were 
Joseph  Carder,  son  of  James ;  Charles  Morris,  who 
taught  four  years,  and  afterwards  became  a  purser  in  the 
Navy ;  Thomas  Lippitt,  a  Warwick  man,  who  married 
Waity  Arnold,  daughter  of  David,  who  recently  died  in 
Providence ;  Ephraim  Arnold,  of  Warwick.  The  ven- 
erable Mr.  Waterman  had  his  customary  family  reunion 
at  his  residence  on  his  last  birth  day,  having  then  arrived 
at  the  age  of  92.  All  his  children,  including  the  one 
from  Virginia,  were  present.  The  following  extract  from 
the  account  of  the  gathering,  we  clip  from  the  Providence 
Journal : 

"It  was  gratifying  to  find  that  "Time's  wasting  fingers"  had 
touched  their  venerable  father  but  slightly,  and  that  in  his  case, 

"The  stern  footsteps  of  decay 
Come  stealing  on" 

almost  imperceptibly.  This  result,  the  old  gentleman  himself 
attributes  to  his  systematic  mode  of  life,  and  his  simple  and 
abstemious  habiis.  His  diet  is  of  the  very  plainest,  reduced 
in  quautiiy  to  what  most  men  would  call  "starvation  rates." 


144 


HISTORY   OP   WARWICK. 


But  it  is  to  this  regimen  he  ascribes  his  remarkable  exemption 
from  many  of  the  sufferings  incident  to  old  age.  His  intellect 
unclouded,  his  memory  fresh  and  accurate,  his  spirits  cheerful, 
his  relish  for  life  scarcely  abated — these  he  thinks,  are  blessings 
full  wor  h  the  price  he  pays. 

In  evidence  of  executive  ability,  rare  at  his  age,  may  be 
quoted  the  management  of  bis  large  farm.  Like  a  skillful 
general,  marking  out  a  campaign,  Mr.  W.  plans  and  supervises 
everything,  even  to  the  smallest  details;  and  seldom  it  is  that 
children  or  grandchildren  get  ahead  of  him.  Acre  for  acre, 
lew  farms  in  this  section  show  better  result." 


The  above  spacious  old  domicil,  known  as  the  Benedict 
Arnold  tavern,  attained  to  considerable  celebrity  in  its 
palmy  days,  being  a  place  of  resort  for  those  who  delight 
in  "  tripping  the  light  fantastic  toe."  Lieut.  Governor 
Greene  informs  me  that  in  his  youthful  days  he  had 
often  visited  it  for  this  purpose.  The  young  people 
for  many  miles  around  in  the  long  winter  evenings  were 
wont  to  assemble  here  and  hold  their  merry-makings, 
and  the  traveller  stopped  here  on  his  journey,  for  a 
night,  assured  of  finding  good  accommodations  for  "man 
and  beast."  It  was  situated  on  the  north  side  of  Main 
street,  between  the  Quaker  Meeting  House  and  the  road 
leading  to  Providence.  It  was  also  a  place  of  resort  for 
the  older  portion  of  the  people,   where  they   discussed 


ROCKY   POINT.  145 


the  news  of  the  day.  Mrs.  Maplet  Wickes,  widow  of 
William  Wickes,  who  married  Josiah,  the  father  of 
Bendict  Arnold,  had  in  her  widowhood  been  licensed  to 
keep  a  tavern,  but  whether  this  was  the  building  in  which 
she  entertained  travellers  or  not,  is  unknown.  Benedict 
Arnold  was  the  grandfather  of  John  Wickes  Greene,  Esq. 
The  old  building  was  demolished  about  the  year  1840. 
Three  acres  of  the  extreme  point  of  Warwick  Neck, 
was  conveyed  to  John  Quincy  Adams,  President  of  the 
United  States,  and  his  successors,  on  May  17,  1828,  by 
William  Greene.  The  consideration  was  8750.  The 
point  was  purchased  as  a  site  for  a  light  house.  Capt. 
Benjamin  Greene,  father  of  the  above-named  William, 
had  earned  his  title  upon  the  sea.  It  is  said  the  Captain 
had  an  orchard,  and  the  sailors  along  shore  so  molested 
the  Captain's  wife  by  stealing  the  fruit,  that  she  de- 
nounced the  whole  class  as  rogues  and  thieves,  excepting 
only  her  husband.  An  anecdote  is  told  of  the  Captain, 
that  when  he  was  president  of  the  town  council,  some  one 
proposed  to  the  council  that  there  should  be  an  inocula- 
tion for  the  small  pox,  which  was  prevalent  in  some  of 
the  other  towns.  Whereupon  it  is  said  the  council  voted 
that  they  would  not  have  the  small  pox  in  the  town  by 
inoculation,  or  any  other  way.  Probably  the  vote  upon 
the  matter,  if  taken,  was  not  recorded. 

ROCKY    POINT. 

Rocky  Point,  one  of  the  famous  shore  resorts  of 
Narragansett  Bay,  and  by  those  competent  to  judge,  said 
to  be  the  most  picturesque  and  beautiful  spot  on  the 
coast  from  Maine  to  Florida,  has  rapidly  grown  in  popu- 
larity for  the  last  thirty  years.  It  early  belonged  to  the 
Stafford  family.  Two  daughters  finally  inherited  it, 
Mary,  who  married  Thomas  II olden,  brother  of  John, 
who  lives  on  the  hill,  and  Phebe  (Stafford)  Lyon,  wife 
of  Jasper  Lyon.  The  former  sold  her  portion  to  Capt. 
Winslow,  about  the  year  1847,  for  $1,200,  and  the  latter 
sold  hers  to  the  same  person  a  short  time  after  for  about 

13 


146  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK. 

the  same  price.  Capt.  Winslow  commenced  to  make 
improvements,  laying  out  the  income  in  this  manner 
until  he  sold  it  to  Byron  Sprague  for  $60,000.  Mr. 
Sprague  further  improved  it,  building  the  observatory 
and  the  spacious  private  dwelling  house  in  1865.  It 
now  belongs  to  the  American  Steamboat  Company. 
Various  changes  and  improvements  have  been  made 
annually,  until  it  has  become  a  paradise  for  excursionists 
and  pleasure  seekers.  Twenty  years  ago  the  rocks  were 
all  there,  and  the  cove  of  less  ample  dimensions  than 
now,  but  the  spacious  hotel,  the  mammoth  dining  hall,  the 
concrete  walks,  and  flying  horses,  and  bowling  alleys,  and 
shooting  galleries,  and  stables,  and  monkey  cage,  and 
inclined  railroad,  and  mounds,  filled  with  cart-loads  of 
clam  shells,  enclosed  with  picket  fences,  to  awaken  the 
idea  in  susceptible  minds  of  some  dead  Pumham  lying 
within  them,  and  passages  under  rocks  of  a  thousand 
tons  weight— all  these  are  comparatively  modern  im- 
provements. The  locality  is  adapted  equally  for  the 
crowds  of  excursionists,  who  land  by  thousands  on  its 
wharf,  and  for  those  who  seek  rest  and  relaxation  in  the 
bracing  atmosphere,  and  find  here  a  temporary  home. 

Within  the  past  few  years  real  estate  has  tak^n  a 
sudden  rise  in  the  vicinity,  and  many  comfortable  summer 
residences  have  been  erected  by  persons  living  in  Provi- 
dence and  elsewhere.  The  Warwick  Railroad  has  been 
built  during  the  past  year,  and  the  ceremony  of  driving 
the  last  spike  was  performed  Dec.  3,  1874,  and  the  road 
opened  for  travel  in  July  of  the  present  year.  The  road 
is  eight  and  fifty-two  one  hundredths  miles  in  length,  and 
connects  Providence  with  Oakland  Beach.  Its  cost 
completed  was  estimated  at  $200,000. 

Leaving  Warwick  Neck  in  a  southerly  direction,  we 
come  to  Horse  Neck,  across  Warwick  Cove,  on  the  ex- 
treme point  of  which  is  Oakland  Beach,  another  summer 
sea-side  resort. 

OAKLAND   BEACH. 

Oakland  Beach  is  a  new  candidate  for  the  favor  of  the 
people,  and  the  hotel,  erected  in  1878,  and  other  build- 


THE   BUTTON  WOODS.  147 


ings,  with  the  various  objects  of  attraction,  have  already 
succeeded  in  rivalling  Rocky  Point  in  the  numbers  that 
flock  from  every  direction  during  the  season  to  enjoy 
brief  seasons  of  relaxation.  The  grounds  have  been 
tastefully  laid  out.  An  artificial  pond,  spanned  by  two 
rustic  bridges  has  been  excavated,  and  winds  gracefully 
about  the  grounds,  supplied  by  water  from  the  sea  at 
high  tide,  over  which  a  fleet  of  boats  are  constantly 
passing.  Here  too  are  the  flying  horses,  and  the  shoot- 
ing galleries,  and  the  dizzy  swings,  etc.,  and  that  which 
seems  to  be  the  special  attraction  to  many,  the  clam  din- 
ners, when  scores  of  bushels  of  the  bi-valve,  roasted  upon 
the  hot  stones,  find  their  way  to  the  hungry  mouths  of 
the  excursionists.  We  venture  the  opinion  that  more 
clams  are  eaten  in  Warwick  during  the  months  of  July 
and  August,  than  in  any  other  town  or  city  in  New 
England,  if  not  in  the  country. 

THE   BUTTON  WOODS. 

The  old  James  Greene  homestead,  at  the  Button  woods, 
at  present  owned  by  Henry  Whitman  Greene,  Esq.,  a 
descendant  of  the  eighth  generation  from  John  Greene, 
senior,  is  a  place  of  some  historic  interest.  The  cellar 
walls  of  the  first  dwelling-house,  erected  upon  the  place, 
probably  by  James  Greene,  son  of  John,  and  brother  of 
the  Deputy  Governor  John  jr.,  may  still  be  seen.  It 
was  built  of  stone,  about  thirty  feet  long  by  fifteen  wide, 
one  story  with  a  basement  opening  toward  the  east. 
The  house  was  demolished  more  than  sixty  years  ago. 
The  present  dwelling,  built  a  few  feet  from  the  old  one, 
was  erected  in  1637,  and  is  said  to  have  been  seven  years 
in  building.  It  was  built  by  James,  the  son  of  the 
former.  The  east  end,  with  the  chimneys,  are  of  brick, 
the  clay  of  which  was  taken  from  Warwick  cove,  and 
burnt  upon  the  farm.  The  mortar  was  made  of  shell 
lime,  which  was  also  burnt  near  by.  Within  the  build- 
ing are  various  evidences  of  its  strength  and  antiquity. 
The   mammoth  fireplace  and  heavy  oaken,  protruding 


148  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK. 

beams  (the  latter  as  seen  from  the  cellar,  formerly  the 
foundation  for  the  flooring,  being  about  a  foot  square, 
and  not  more  than  a  foot  apart,)  with  heavy  stair  ways 
leading  to  the  upper  story,  all  have  an  ancient  look. 
The  present  proprietor  has  a  cane  which  has  been 
handed  down  from  his  ancestors.  The  tradition  respect- 
ing it  is,  that  James  Greene,  the  second  of  that  name, 
bought  it  in  England,  while  on  a  visit  there.  It  was 
made  of  Malacca  wood,  surmounted  with  a  heavy  ivor}- 
knob,  made  from  a  whale's  tooth  ;  beneath  this  is  a  silver 
ferule  with  the  initials  "I.  G."  and  the  date  "1687," 
with  an  iron  point,  about  two  inches  long  at  the  bottom 
of  the  stick.  It  would  be  a  formidable  weapon  in  the 
hands  of  a  strong  man  if  used  as  a  bayonet. 

A  few  rods  from  the  building  stands  one  of  the  ancient 
Buttonwood  trees,  from  which  the  farm  receives  its 
familiar  appellation  of  the  Buttonwoods.  This  old  tree 
measures,  near  the  ground,  seven  feet  in  diameter. 

James  Greene,  senior,  took  up  his  residence  at  Potowo- 
mut,  upon  lands  that  have  continued  in  possession  of  his 
descendants.  He  married  Deliverance  Potter,  daughter 
of  Robert  Potter,  for  his  first  wife  and  Elizabeth  Anthony 
of  Rhode  Island,  for  his  second,  Aug,  3,  1665.  He  died 
April  27,  1698,  at  the  age  of  71.  His  will  devising  his 
estate  and  duly  witnessed  by  Anne  Greene,  Pasco 
Whitford  and  William  Nickols,  bears  the  date  March  22, 
1698. 

His  son  James,  residing  at  Nausauket,  died  March  12, 
1712,  at  the  age  of  52.  His  will  is  dated  the  day  before 
his  death :  after  committing  his  "soul  unto  ye  hands  of 
ye  only  True  God,  and  Blessed  Redeemer,  Jesus  Christ, 
in  and  through  whom,  I  hope  to  obtain  mercy  and  for- 
giveness of  my  manifold  sins  and  Transgressions,  and  to 
be  received  by  him  into  his  everlasting  kingdom,"  he 
provides  that  "his  loving  wife  Mary  Greene,"  shall  have 
half  of  his  house  and  farm  during  her  life,  which  upon 
her  decease  was  to  go  to  his  son  James ;  the  other  half, 
was  given  to  his  son  Fones  Greene,  with  legacies  to  his 
remaining  seven  children.  Fones  Greene,  died  July  29, 
1758,  at  the  age  of  67.     His  will  was  duly  executed  on 


CAPT.    JAMES    GREENE.  149 

the  10th  of  July  previous,  witnessed  by  Thomas  Rice, 
jr.,  Anne  Rice  and  Jeremiah  Lippitt.  He  gave  his 
"mansion  house  and  westermost  part  of  my  homestead 
farm,  together  with  all  the  buildings,"  to  his  son  James ; 
also  his  "thatch  bed  and  upland,"  on  the  easterly  part  of 
his  farm  nearly  opposite  "to  where  the  channel  of  the 
Horse-neck  cove,  so  called,  branches  out  into  two  chan- 
nels." Provisions  were  made  for  his  wife,  giving  her 
the  use  of  a  portion  of  the  mansion  house  and  a  privilege 
in  "  the  old  house,  and  cheese  house,"  and  requiring  his 
sons  to  provide  out  of  the  estate  suitable  provisions 
during  her  life. 

Capt.  James  Greene,  the  oldest  of  the  six  children  of 
Fones,  just  mentioned,  and  chief  heir  of  his  father's 
landed  estate  at  Nausauket,  was  born  Dec.  2,  1713,  mar- 
ried Patience,  daughter  of  Capt.  John  Waterman,  April 
10,  1740,  and  died  Sept.  3,  1802,  aged  88.  "He  was  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  Society  in  Warwick  for  upwards 
of  sixty  years."  His  last  will  is  dated  Sept.  14,  1799, 
and  witnessed  by  James  Whipple,  Bowen  Arnold  and 
James  Jerauld.  He  gives  to  James  Greene,  two-thirds 
of  his  homestead  farm,  with  the  buildings  thereon,  (ex- 
cepting a  portion  of  the  house,  which  he  gave  to  his 
grandson,  James  Warner  Greene,)  also  two-thirds  of  his 
"thatch  bed  at  the  south  end  of  the  Neck,"  and  an  equal 
portion  of  all  his  other  lands.  To  his  grandson,  Warner 
James  Greene,  the  remaining  third  of  the  homestead 
farm,  thatch  bed,  and  other  lands.  To  his  daughter, 
Patience,  who  married  Abraham  Lockwood,  his  state 
securities,  certain  sums  of  money,  household  articles  &c, 
with  various  bequests  to  his  grand-children.  His  wife 
had  died  about  five  years  previous.  On  the  death  of  his 
father  James,  his  only  son  Warner  James  Greene,  who 
had  already  inherited  one-third  of  the  estate  from  his 
grandfather,  received  the  remaining  two-thirds  of  the 
homestead,  or  so  much  of  it  as  remained  in  possession  of 
his  father  at  the  time  of  his  death,  and  on  the  decease  of 
Warner  James  Greene,  it  came  into  the  possession  of  its 
present  occupants. 
*13 


150  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


Of  this  estate  were  sold,  three  years  ago,  one  hundred 
and  thirty  acres  of  land,  bordering  upon  the  beach,  to  an 
association   of  gentlemen,  known   as   the   Buttonwood 
Beach  Association,  for  $22,000.     This  association  has 
since  laid  out  the  grounds  in  a  tasteful   manner,  and 
placed  them  in  the  market.      They  erected  a  large  Hotel 
in  1872,  at  a  cost  of  some  $20,000.     Some  fifty  or  more 
cottages,   some  of  them    quite    expensive,  have    been 
already  erected,   and   each  year  increases  the  number. 
The  grounds  are  pleasantly  located,   having  a  beach  a 
mile   long,    surmounted   by   a   bluff  nearly   the   whole 
length,  some  eight  or  ten  feet  high.     The  elevated  ridge 
of  Warwick  Neck  shelters  it  from  the  cold  east  winds, 
which  render  Martha's  Vineyard  so  frequently  cheerless, 
while  the  warm  southerly  and  westerly  outlook,  affords 
ample  scope  for  the  genial  breezes  from  those  directions. 
To  the  southward  lie  the   waters  of  the  Narragansett, 
with  the  waters  of  the  Coweset  reaching  to  the  village  of 
East  Greenwich,  with  Chippewanoxet  in  the  fore-ground, 
and    across    the    bay  the     fertile     farms    and    stately 
dwellings  of  Potowomut.      Still   further  south  are  the 
islands  of  Prudence  and  Patience,  Jamestown  and  the 
island  city  of  Newport.     The  constitution  of  the  Button- 
wood  Beach  Association  requires  that  six  out  of  its  nine 
managers,  with  the  president,  shall  be  of  the  Baptist 
denomination,  giving  it  somewhat  of  a  denominational 
character. 

APPONAUG  AND   COWESET    SHORE. 

We  find  a  reference  to  Apponaug  as  early  as  the  year 
1663,  in  the  proprietors'  records,  but  of  no  permanent 
settlement  until  the  year  1696,  when  John  Micarter  of 
Providence,  erected  his  fulling  mill  on  Kekamewit  brook.* 

*  See  page  95.  "At  a  proprietors'  meeting,  held  January  8th,  1722-3, 
Major  Anthony  Low,  moderator,  Major  Job  Greene,  Capt.  John 
Waterman  and  Capt.  Benjamin  Greene,  were  appointed  a  committee, 
to  agree  with  Samuel  Greene,  concerning  the  Fulling  mill  grant  and 
to  present  a  plat  of  the  same  for  the  approval  of  the  proprietors." — 
Proprietors'  Jiecords. 

"At  a  proprietors'  meeting,  called  by  a  -warrant,  and  held  at  the 


APPONAUG.  151 


In  the  earlier  reference  it  is  called  Aponahock,  and  in 
the  later  Aponake.  The  word  is  an  Indian  term, 
according  to  Roger  Williams,  and  signifies  an  oyster. 
Williams,  writes  it  Opponenauhack.  The  place  became 
known  as  the  Fulling  mill,  but  finally  resumed  its  an- 
cient appellation,  by  which  it  is  now  more  generally 
known.  An  arm  of  the  cove  that  makes  up  in  the  rear 
of  where  formerly  stood  the  old  Baptist  meeting-house,  is 
known  by  the  name  of  Pawwaw  cove.  The  tradition  is 
that  an  Indian  priest  or  pawwaw,  was  drowned  there 
while  attempting  to  cross  it  Apponaug  cove  in  early 
times,  was  several  feet  deeper  than  at  present,  and  even 
since  the  year  1800,  sloops  of  fifteen  tons  burden  found 
no  difficulty  in  entering  it,  and  approaching  the  store  of 
Jacob  Greene  &  Co. 

In  June,  1796,  the  General  Assembly,  granted  permis- 
sion to  John  Stafford  to  erect  a  tide  mill,  for  the  grind- 
ing of  corn  and  other  grains,  at  or  near  the  bridge,  "pro- 
vided that  the  mill  dam  be  made  and  erected  with  suit- 
able waste-gates  for  venting  the  superfluous  water,  and 
in  such  a  manner  as  not  to  back  the  water  or  otherwise 
injure  the  mills  of  Mr.  Caleb  Greene ;  and  also  provided, 
that  the  said  John  Stafford,  shall  make,  and  leave  open 
at  all  proper  times,  a  suitable  passage,  not  less  than  six- 
teen feet  wide,  in  the  said  dam,  for  the  passage  of  rafts 
and  boats  up  and  down  said  river." 

house  of  Josiah  Hynes,  in  Warwick,  the  thirty-first  day  of  January, 
A.  D.  1735-6.  Votud:  John  Wickes,  chosen  chairman.  Present2(j  pro- 
prietors. The  committee  have  presented  their  Returne  by  a  plat, 
made  by  Capt.  Thomas  Rice,  surveyor,  dated  Jauuary  17  day,  1735  6, 
which  was  voted  and  accepted  by  the  proprietors,  and  accordingly  the 
Proprietors  have  drawn  their  generall  allotments,  which  may  fully 
appear  by  the  plat  and  list  thereof— ibid. 

The  above  paragraph  refers  to  a  tract  of  land,  "Lighing  between 
Sweet's  meadow  and  Apouaugh  brig."  The  tract  was  divided  into 
fifty-one  lots,  John  Wickes  drew  the  first,  and  Richard  Waterman  the 
fifty-first. 

"A  true  plat,  errors  excepted,  of  part  of  the  Proprietors'  commons, 
called  ye  fower  miles  commons  lying  near  Apponog,  part  near  ye 
Bridge  and  part  near  wood  pint,  so  called,  which  was  surveyed  with 
the  assistance  of  Colonell  Joseph  Stafford,  Capt.  Charles  Holden  and 
Capt.  Thomas  Rice,  committee  which  was  by  the  proprietors  appinted 
for  ye  same,  and  platted  this  35  [25?]  of  Oct!,  A.  D.  1751.  Voted,  that 
this  plat  be  accepted  by  the  proprietors. — Ibid. 


152  HISTOKY  OF   WARWICK. 

Whether  the  original  fulling  mill  was  kept  in  contin- 
uous operation  from  its  early  beginning,  to  the  time 
when  the  building  known  as  such,  ceased  operations, 
some  sixty  years  ago,  or  what  changes  it  underwent 
during  the  first  century,  it  is  perhaps,  impossible  to  say. 

It  was  followed  by  a  cotton  mill,  run  b}^  a  company,  of 
which  Capt.  Caleb  Greene,  father  of  Mr.  Albert  D. 
Greene,  was  the  agent.  The  mill  was  of  three  stories, 
shingled  on  all  sides,  and  remained,  until  about  the  time 
the  Print  works  went  into  operation.  There  was  also  a 
saw  and  grist  mill  in  operation  near  by,  for  some  years. 
Just  in  the  rear  of  Mr.  Benjamin  Vaughan's  house,  was 
a  small  building  used  for  the  carding  of  wool,  which 
was  brought  in  by  the  neighboring  farmers,  and  when 
carded  was  carried  home  and  spun  for  use.  It  was  run 
a  part  of  the  time  by  a  Mr.  Manchester,  and  also  by  the 
Wilburs.  Mr.  Wilbur,  father  of  the  late  Col.  Peleg 
Wilbur,  of  Washington  village,  had  a  store  in  the  village, 
in  the  year  1800  and  afterwards,  in  which  he  sold  dry  and 
West  India  goods,  and  in  one  part  was  kept  the  usual  sup- 
ply of  New  England  rum.  It  is  said  there  were  not  less 
than  seven  of  these  variety  stores  at  one  time,  and  seve- 
ral taverns,  all  of  which,  kept  liquor  for  sale  at  retail. 
The  old  Wilbur  house  still  stands  on  the  east  side  of  the 
street,  leading  toward  Greenwich.  Jacob  Greene,  bro- 
ther of  Gen.  Nathaniel  Greene,  had  a  store  out  in  the 
water,  off  against  Mrs.  Remington's  lot,  for  convenience, 
perhaps  in  unlading  merchandise  from  the  sloops  that 
entered  the  harbor.  The  water  surrounded  it.  One  of 
the  oldest  houses,  and  perhaps  the  first  framed  house 
in  the  village,  stands  next  north  of  Mr.  Atwood's 
hotel. 

Early  in  the  present  century,  sloops  and  schooners 
were  built  here,  and  one  ship  is  remembered  by  a  person 
now  living  as  also  having  been  built.  Trade  was  car- 
ried on  with  neighboring  ports  to  a  considerable  extent. 
Jacob  Greene  &  Co.  here  shipped  their  anchors  from 
their  forge  in  Coventry,  and  received  their  coal  and 
black  sand.     It  was   thought  at  one  time,  by  some,  that 


APPONAUG   VILLAGE.  153 

the  village  would  come  to  much  larger  proportions  and 
assume  greater  importance  than  it  has  ever  arrived  at : 
and  one  of  the  inhabitants — as  he  beheld  several  houses 
then  recently  erected,  in  the  exuberance  of  his  imagi- 
nation, and  with  a  preliminary  remark  uttered  in  not 
very  choice  language, — declaied  that  "Apponaug  will 
yet  be  bigger  than  London." 

On  two  of  the  four  corners,  in  the  heart  of  the  vil- 
lage, were  taverns  ;  on  the  southeast,  a  blacksmith  shop 
occupied  by  Gideon  Congdon  who  died  very  suddenly  ; 
and  on  the  south  was  the  old  house  in  which  Samuel 
Greene,  son  of  the  Deputy-Governor,  John  Greene, 
lived.  Samuel  Greene  married  a  daughter  of  Benjamin 
Gorton,  one  of  the  sons  of  Samuel  Gorton,  Senior.  He 
afterwards  purchased  of  Samuel  Gorton,  Jr.,  the  house 
which  the  latter  had  erected  on  one  of  the  Coweset 
farms  near  Greenwich,  now  occupied  by  Ex-Lieut.-Gov. 
William  Greene.  He,  however,  continued  to  reside  at 
Apponaug  until  his  death.  He  died  of  small  pox  at 
the  age  of  fifty.  His  son,  Gov.  William  Greene,  re- 
sided on  the  estate  purchased  of  Gorton.  The  old 
Greene  house,  which  stood  back  a  little  from  the  street, 
was  torn  down  forty-eight  years  ago  and  its  timbers 
were  put  into  the  new  one  erected  the  same  year  upon 
the  corner.  It  still  remains  in  the  Greene  family.  One 
of  the  ancient  houses  of  the  place,  a  one-story  building, 
stood  upon  the  site  of  the  present  residence  of  the  ven- 
erable Daniel  Brown  (now  in  his  ninety-fourth  year), 
near  the  railway  depot.  The  present  residence  of 
Mr.  Brown  was  built  about  eighty-rive  years  ago,  by 
Nathaniel  and  James  Stone,  and  was  subsequently  pur- 
chased by  Joseph  Brown,  father  of  the  present  owner.  A 
choice  bit  of  water,  called  the  Sweet-Meadow  Brook, 
passes  through  the  farm  and  has  been  the  source  of 
considerable  interest  to  Mr.  Brown.  Capt.  Brown  and 
his  father  also  were  born  in  the  old  house,  according  to 
the  Captain's  statements.  In  the  chambers  of  Capt. 
Brown's  house  lived  Mr.  Caleb  Arnold  for  a  while,  and 
there,  his  son,  Mr.  John  B.  Arnold,  of  Centreville,  was 
born.     Joseph  Arnold,  brother  of  Caleb,  was  a  revolu- 


154  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

tionary  soldier,  and  drew  a  pension  as  major,  to  the  close 
of  his  life.  Col.  Thomas  Westcott,  a  descendant  of 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  town,  and  a  man  of  some 
note  in  the  early  part  of  the  century,  was  the  Sheriff  of 
Kent  county,  and  at  one  time  a  General  in  the  militia. 
He  married  Marcy  Arnold,  of  Cranston,  February  4, 
1781,  and  had  eight  children.  Susanna  was  born  March 
29,  1782  ;  Lucy,  December  30,  1783 ;  Catherine,  May 
5,  1785  ;  Jaleel,  February  3,  1788  ;  Thomas,  February 
13,  1790  ;  John,  August  25,  1792:  Samuel  A,  Decem- 
ber 11,  1794;  Aribut,  November  15,1796;  Augustus 
A.,  May  11,  1798.  The  two  last  died  in  infancy. 
Catherine  married  William  Marble  for  her  first  husband, 
and  James  Haven  for  her  second.  She  died  in  Centre- 
ville,  a  few  years  ago.  Her  son,  Thomas  Marble,  Esq., 
is  superintendent  of  the  mills  at  Allendale.  Allen, 
another  son,  was  drowned  in  New  Bedford  in  1860. 

One  of  the  noted  residents  of  the  village,  and  whose 
influence  extended  beyond  its  limits,  was  Charles  Brayton, 
for  many  years  clerk  of  the  town,  and  from  May, 
1814,  to  May,  1818,  an  Associate  Judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court.  He  was  subsequently  chosen  to  the  same 
position  in  1827  and  remained  several  years.  His 
father,  Daniel  Brayton,  was  a  blacksmith  and  removed 
from  Old  Warwick.  He  removed  his  shop  from  Old 
Warwick  to  Apponaug,  to  near  the  spot  where  his  son, 
the  Hon.  Wm.  D.  Brayton,  formerly  a  Member  of  Con- 
gress, now  resides.  Hon.  George  A.  Brayton,  late 
Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  is  also  one  of  his 
sons.  The  latter  was  elected  Associate  Justice  in  ]  843, 
remaining  in  that  position  until  1868,  when  he  was 
elected  Chief,  and  remained  in  that  position  until  within 
about  a  year.  He  is  a  graduate  of  Brown  University, 
class  of  1824. 

Previous  to  the  building  of  the  Town  House,  in 
1834-5,  the  town  meetings  were  held  at  various  places, 
chiefly  at  the  taverns ;  and  the  privilege  ol  having 
them  was,  in  later  years,  sold  at  auction  to  the  highest 
bidder.     The  benefits  accruing  to  the  successful  bidder 


TOWN   HOUSE   LOT   IMPROVED.  155 

were  probably  derived  from  the  increased  amount  of 
liquor  that  would  be  sold  upon  his  premises  during  the 
meetings.  The  following  is  an  extract  from  the  town 
records  referring  to  this  matter: 

At  a  Town  Meeting  held  at  Daniel  Whitman's  Inn  on  the  25th 
of  July,  1812,  it  was  "  Voted  that  the  holding  of  the  Town 
Meetings  be  sold  to  the  highest  Bidder,  to  any  person  within 
the  Town  of  Warwick,  for  one  year,  and  that  the  money  aris- 
ing therefrom  be  paid  into  the  Town  Treasury;  and  the  same 
was  according  Struck  off  to  Benjamin  Greene,  (S.  C.)  for  the 
sum 'of  One  Hundred  and  (Sixty-five  Dollars,  who  was  the 
Highest  Bidder;  that  the  same  be  paid  into  the  Treasury  at 
the  Expiration  of  the  Year,  and  that  Security  be  given  to  the 
satisfaction  of  the  Town  Treasurer  within  Ten  Days." 

At  a  subsequent  meeting  the  town  accepted  the  note 
of  Benjamin  Greene,  endorsed  by  Caleb  Greene,  Jr., 
"  for  the  sum  the  town  meetings  were  bid  off  for." 

Previous  to  1849  the  grounds  about  the  Town  House 
presented  a  barren,  desolate  appearance ;  the  old  ash 
tree  in  the  rear  of  the  clerk's  office  being  about  the  only 
tree  of  importance  upon  the  grounds.  At  the  April 
town  meeting  of  this  year  the  town  requested  its  clerk 
to  "  procure  and  set  out  five  elm  trees,  in  front  of  the 
Town  House  lot  and  guard  the  same  against  cattle  by 
placing  around  each  tree  a  strong  fence  or  barricade." 
As  the  other  trees  upon  the  grounds  at  the  present  time 
are  of  the  same  kind,  and  about  the  same  size,  it  is  prob- 
able they  were  also  set  out  about  the  same  period.  At 
the  same  meeting  a  sum  not  exceeding  two  hundred 
dollars  was  voted  to  build  a  shed  upon  the  rear  portion 
of  the  lot.  At  the  April  town  meeting,  in  1854,  the 
Kentish  Artillery  were  granted  the  privilege  of  building 
an  Armory  on  the  eastern  portion  of  the  town  house  lot. 

In  the  year  1854  there  was  more  than  usual  interest 
in  the  temperance  movement.  Efforts  on  the  part  of 
the  temperance  people  looking  toward  the  suppression 
of  the  traffic,  were  met  with  violent  opposition  on  the 
part  of  their  opponents,  and  occasional  acts  ol  violence 
for  the  purpose  of  intimidating  the  more  active  pro- 
moters of  the  reform,  were  resorted  to.     One  of  these  law- 


156  HISTORY  OF   "WARWICK. 

less  and  disgraceful  and  cowardly  acts  was  perpetrated 
in  the  village  of  Apponaug,  which  was  followed  a 
few  years  after  by  one  of  murderous  malignity  in  the 
village  of  Centreville.  In  the  former  village  a  keg  of 
powder  was  placed  in  the  barn  of  Mr.  William  Harrison 
and  near  the  then  residence  of  the  present  town  clerk, 
and  exploded,  blowing  the  barn  to  pieces  and  seriously 
endangering  the  lives  of  the  people  in  the  vicinity.  The 
Town  Council  immediately  offered  a  reward  of  two  hun- 
dred dollars  for  the  arrest  and  conviction  of  the  person 
or  persons  who  committed  the  act,  and  the  town,  a  few 
days  after  (Nov.  7),  offered  an  additional  reward  of  five 
hundred  dollars,  but  no  one  was  convicted. 

Passing  southward  we  come  to  the  site  of  the  old 
Episcopal  meeting  house  which  stood  about  midway  be- 
tween Apponaug  and  Greenwich.  It  was  erected  here 
in  1728,  having  formerly  stood  in  Newport  where  it  bore 
the  name  of  Trinity  church.  According  to  tradition,  it 
was  floated  from  Newport  to  this  place,  where  it  re- 
mained for  over  thirty  years,  when  the  migratory  spirit 
came  over  it  again  and  it  was  taken  down  once  more 
and  placed  upon  the  water  with  the  intention  of  remov- 
ing it  to  Old  Warwick.  A  storm  came  on  and  the 
materials  were  scattered  and  never  reached  their  desti- 
nation. Chippewanoxet,  a  name  euphonious  in  Indian 
but  rude  and  diabolical  in  English,  it  being  interpreted 
Devil's  Island,  is  a  small  Inland  at  high  tide,  near  the 
summer  resort  known  as  Read's  Palace.  An  old  burial 
spot  a  short  distance  from  it  and  near  the  railroad  cul- 
vert is  traditionally  of  Indian  origin. 

In  reaching  this  point  we  have  passed  the  palatial 
residence  of  Amasa  Sprague,  Esq.,  at  the  old  Ladd  wat- 
ering-place, the  most  costly  dwelling-house,  probably, 
in  the  town  ;  with  its  extensive  and  beautiful  lawns  and 
shrubbery.  To  the  southward  and  not  far  from  the 
site  of  the  old  Indian  burial  ground,  is  the  pleasant  resi- 
dence of  the  late  Dea.  Moses  Wightman,  formerly 
owned  and  occupied  by  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  Crane  and 
lonp-  known  as  the  Oliver  Gardiner  house.     On  the  hill 


55 

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THE   GOV.    GREENE   MANSION.  157 

the  massive  stone  dwelling-house  of  Alfred  A.  Read, 
Esq.,  vying,  in  architectural  beauty,  with  the  Sprague 
house,  to  the  northward,  and  overlooking  Narragansett 
Bay  and  the  surrounding  country.  On  the  corner  of 
Division  street  and  the  road  leading  to  Apponaug  is  an 
old  house  occupied  during  the  first  decade  of  the  pres- 
ent century  and  for  many  years,  by  John  Mawney  who 
was  postmaster  for  many  years  in  the  adjoining  village. 

The  old  cozy  mansion  presented  in  the  engraving,  is 
the  residence  of  Ex-Lieut.-Gov.  Wm.  Greene,  and  is 
one  of  the  historic  houses  of  the  town.  The  original  or 
southeastern  portion  was  built  about  the  year  1685,  by 
Samuel  Gorton,  Jr.,  whose  father  was  one  of  the  twelve 
original  purchasers  of  the  town  lands.  It  lays  no  claim 
to  architectural  beauty.  The  old  colonial  style  of  ar- 
chitecture, as  indicated  by  the  few  dwelling-houses  still 
preserved,  was  one  in  which  the  owner  studied  carefully 
his  means  and  his  necessities  rather  than  the  develop- 
ment ot  his  architectural  taste.  Built,  usually,  of  the 
best  timber  of  the  surrounding  forests,  it  became  not 
only  the  quiet  home  of  his  family  in  times  of  peace, 
but  also  his  castle  in  seasons  of  danger.  As  his  family 
increased  and  more  room  was  demanded,  an  addition 
was  built  on  some  convenient  side,  or  another  story  was 
added.  Sometimes,  as  in  the  present  case,  where  no 
lack  of  means  prevented  the  removal  of  the  old  build- 
ing and  the  erection  of  one  of  modern  structure  and 
elegance,  a  no  less  serious  obstacle  intervened.  The  old 
house,  limited  in  capacity  and  homely  in  appearance, 
had  become  sacred  to  its  possessor,  by  the  many  time- 
hallowed  associations  connected  with  it.  It  was  the 
home  of  his  ancestors  long  since  gone  to  their  rest. 
Within  its  venerable  walls  he  first  lisped  his  mother's 
name,  and  no  other  dwelling,  however  convenient  or 
elegant,  would  ever  seem  so  much  like  home  to  him. 
From  such  considerations  the  old  dwelling  was  allowed 
to  remain ;  subject,  however,  to  such  modifications  as 
the  necessities  of  the  occupants  demanded.  The  build- 
ing fronts  to  the  south. 
14 


!58  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

The  large  stone  chimney  in  the  centre  of  the  building 
belonged  to  the  original  part  and  was  built  according  to 
the  custom  of  the  times,  half  out  of  doors,  having  been 
enclosed  when  the  addition  was  made  on  the  west  side 
at  a  subsequent  date.  The  one  on  the  eastern  end  has 
been  taken  down  since  the  photograph  from  which  the 
engraving  was  taken  was  procured,  and  extensive  addi- 
tions have  been  made  in  the  rear.  The  front  however, 
still  retains  its  ancient  form.  Some  interior  modifications 
have  also  been  made.  The  old  grandfatherly  fire-places 
in  whose  cosy  corners,  children  half  grown  could  stand 
erect,  and  look  upward  at  night  and  count  the  stars, 
with  the  well  polished  brass  fire  dogs  reflecting  their 
faces  in  grotesque  shapes,  have  been  superseded  by 
modern  inventions.  There  is  still  preserved,  however,  an 
air  of  the  olden  time,  in  the  low  studded  rooms,  the 
heavy  oaken  beams,  here  and  there  protruding  from  the 
walls  and  ceiling,  the  figured  porcelain  tiles  about  the 
fire-places,  and  various  arrangements  for  comfort  or  or- 
nament, that  would  not  fail  to  attract  the  curiosity  of  the 
visitor. 

The  small  building  in  front,  enclosed  partly  in  lattice 
work,  was  built  for  a  well-curb  in  1794.  On  its  apex  is 
a  gilded  weather-cock,  which  from  its  low  and  protracted 
position  must  have  been  in  a  chronic  state  of  uncertainty 
as  to  which  way  the  wind  blew.  The  well  is  still  pre- 
served, though  not  at  present  in  use.  It  was  originally 
provided  with  the  old-fashioned  sweep.  The  extensive 
out-buildings  are  of  modern  structure,  having  been  built 
chiefly  by  the  present  resident,  and  are  provided  with  all 
the  conveniences  that  wealth  can  furnish  for  the  various 
kinds  of  live  stock  in  which  the  Governor  takes  a  con- 
siderable interest. 

The  house  has  been  the  home  of  one  of  the  historic 
families  of  Rhode  Island  for  several  generations,  and  in 
this  circumstance  lies  its  chief  claim  to  special  interest. 

Samuel  Greene,  who  was  the  youngest  son  of  the 
Deputy  Governor  John  Greene,  mairied  the  daughter  of 
Benjamin  Gorton,  brother  of  Samuel  Gorton  jr.,  and  pur- 


THE   GOV.    GREENE   MANSION.  159 

chased  the  estate  of  the  latter  in  1718,  the  farm  was  the 
17th  of  the  "  Coweset  purchase."  Samuel  Greene  died 
two  years  after  the  purchase  of  the  estate  from  Gorton, 
when  it  came  into  the  possession  of  his  son  William,  who 
held  the  office  of  Deputy  Governor  of  Rhode  Island 
from  July  15,  1740,  to  May,  1743,  and  afterwards  that 
of  Governor,  for  nearly  eleven  years,  between  1743  and 
1758,  dying  in  office  Jan.  23,  1758.  During  the  year 
1758,  the  west  portion  of  the  house  was  built  by  Win. 
Greene,  jr.,  a  new  aspirant  for  political  honors.  It  was 
enlarged  in  view  of  his  approaching  marriage,  and 
was  destined  to  gather  about  it  associations  rich  in  his- 
toric and  family  interest.  In  the  year  1777,  its  owner 
was  elected  to  the  office  of  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  and  in  the  following  year  to  that  of  Governor,  a 
position  which  he  ably  filled  for  eight  successive  years. 
The  war  of  the  revolution  was  then  in  progress  and  the 
west  room  became  the  Governor's  council  room.  In  it 
the  Governor  and  his  council  with  Gen.  Sullivan,  Gen. 
Nathaniel  Greene,  Lafayette,  Rochambeau  and  other 
notable  personages,  both  civil  and  military,  held  frequent 
consultations  upon  important  national  affairs.  Here 
their  several  views  were  exchanged,  questions  of  ex- 
pediency discussed  and  grave  matters  of  doubt  unravelled. 

At  intervals,  when  the  demands  of  duty  were  less 
pressing,  they  were  wont  to  gather  here  for  temporary 
relaxation  and  enjoy  the  generous  hospitalities  of  the 
Governor's  family.  The  acquaintances  thus  formed 
ripened  into  personal  friendships  that  were  destined  to 
be  gratefully  acknowledged  in  after  years.  The  room 
still  contains  some  mementos  of  those  times.  On  its 
walls  may  be  seen  a  large  mezzotint  engraving  of  Gen. 
Nathaniel  Greene,  presented  by  Lafayette  to  the  daugh- 
ter of  Gen.  Greene  many  years  afterwards,  which  bears 
on  its  lower  margin  the  following  inscription  in  the 
hand-writing  of  the  patriotic  Frenchman  : — 

"  To  dear  Mrs.  Shaw,  from  her  father's  companion  in 
arms  and  most  intimate  friend — Lafayette." 

A  portrait  of  Gen.   Greene,  painted  by  Charles  Peale, 


160  HISTORY   OF   "WARWICK. 

and  said  to  be  the  best  one  extant,  hangs  on  the  oppo- 
site wall.  It  originally  belonged  to  the  collection  of  the 
Hon.  William  Bingham,  of  Philadelphia,  who  was  a 
member  of  the  United  States  Senate  at  the  same  time 
that  the  Hon.  R&y  Greene,  the  father  of  the  present 
resident,  held  a  similar  position  from  Rhode  Island.  On 
the  death  of  Mr.  Bingham,  his  collection  was  scattered, 
and  this  painting  was  accidentally  discovered  subse- 
quently in  Philadelphia,  where  its  present  owner  was 
fortunate  enough  to  secure  it. 

Among  the  notable  visitors  of  that,  and  subsequent 
years,  was  Dr.  Franklin,  who  was  on  terms  of  intimacy 
with  the  family,  and  usually  made  a  friendly  visit  here 
whenever  he  came  to  New  England.  While  in  France, 
he  kept  up  a  frequent  correspondence  with  one  of  the 
members  of  the  family,  his  letters  still  being  preserved 
in  the  family  archives.  The  west  window  overlooking  a 
beautiful  valley,  bears  the  name  of  "  Franklin's  window," 
from  the  interest  he  is  said  to  have  taken  in  sitting 
beside  it  and  gazing  at  the  prospect  it  afforded.  In  the 
east  room,  hanging  upon  the  wall,  is  a  small  bronze  me- 
dallion of  the  old  philosopher  and  statesman,  which  the 
Governor  assured  me  was  hung  there  by  Franklin  him- 
self. In  this  latter  room,  in  one  corner,  let  down  into 
the  floor  several  inches,  and  then  reaching  to  the  ceiling 
overhead,  stands  an  old  coffin-shaped  clock,  ticking 
away,  as  it  has  done  for  the  past  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years.  Among  the  interesting  manuscript  relics,  besides 
the  letters  of  Franklin,  is  an  original  one  of  Washington 
and  several  of  his  autographs  attached  to  public  docu- 
ments, letters  of  Webster,  Henry  Clay  and  John  Quincy 
Adams. 

It  was  in  this  house  that  Gen.  Nathaniel  Greene,  then 
living  in  Coventry,  and  engaged  in  business  with  his 
brothers,  in  their  anchor  forge,  became  acquainted  with 
Miss  Catherine  Littlefield,  daughter  of  John  Littlefield, 
Esq.,  of  New  Shoreham.  They  were  married  in  the  west 
room,  by  Elder  John  Gorton,  July  20,  1774. 

In  1797,    Hon.   Rav  Greene,   son  of   Gov.    William 


THE    GOV.    GREENE   MANSION.  161 

Greene,  jr.,  then  the  possessor  of  the  old  family  resi- 
dence, was  appointed  a  United  States  Senator,  for  two 
years,  to  fill  the  vacancy  occasioned  by  the  resignation  of 
the  Hon.  William  Bradford.  He  was  one  of  the  talented 
and  popular  men  of  the  times,  and  in  1799,  was  returned 
to  the  same  position  for  the  term  of  six  years  In  1801 
he  resigned  his  position  to  accept  the  office  of  District 
Judge  of  Rhode  Island,  to  succeed  Judge  Bourne.  The 
appointment  was  made  by  John  Adams  as  he  was  about 
retiring  from  the  presidential  office.  There  was  some 
informality  connected  with  the  appointment,  which  was 
discovered  too  late  to  be  rectified  by  Mr.  Adams,  and 
when  the  matter  was  referred  to  his  successor,  Mr. 
Jefferson,  he  refused  to  rectify  it,  and  appointed  instead, 
one  of  his  own  political  adherents  to  that  office.  Mr. 
Greene  thus  by  a  simple  misunderstanding  on  the  part 
of  another,  lost  both  his  senatorial  and  judioial  offices. 

The  present  resident  was  graduated  at  Brown  Univer- 
sity in  the  class  of  1817.  Among  his  class-mates  were 
Ex- Governor  Charles  Jackson,  Judge  William  Li.  Staples, 
Rev.  Dr.  Henry  Jackson  and  Professor  Edward  R.  Lippitt. 
For  forty-two  years  he  was  a  resident  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
where  he  was  specially  interested  in  the  development  of 
its  public  schools,  and  officially  connected  with  them 
during  most  of  that  period.  In  1862,  he  returned  to  his 
ancestral  home,  and  in  1866,  was  elected  to  the  office  of 
Lieut.  Governor  of  the  State,  Gen.  Burnside  receiving 
the  office  of  Governor.  On  the  following  year  he  was  re- 
elected and  at  its  close  retired  from  official  station,  to 
pass  the  evening  hours  of  an  already  long  and  busv  life, 
in  the  quiet  repose  of  the  old  homestead. 

Passing  .through  the  grounds  to  the  rear,  of  the  house, 
we  come  to  the  old  family  burial  place,  in  a  quiet  se- 
cluded spot,  where  repose  the  deceased  members  of  the 
family  of  several  generations.  The  lot  is  of  a  circular 
form  and  closely  surrounded  by  a  tall  evergreen  hedo-e 
composed  of.  the  pine,  arbor  vitse  and  Norway  spruce 
varieties,  tastefully  intermingled  and  completely  shut- 
ting out  the  view  from  the  outside.     Most  of  the  stones 

*I4 


162  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK. 

bear  the  simple  name,  time  of  the  death  and  age  of  the 
deceased,  without  any  attempt  to  eulogize  their   virtues. 

The  oldest  dates  noticed  were  those  of  1741,  1752, 
1758  and  1760.  Here  lie  two  of  the  Governors  of 
Rhode  Island,  with  their  wives  beside  them. 

The  following  are  verbatim  copies  of  the  inscriptions 
on  two  of  the  stones: 

In  memory  of  the 

Honbl  William  Greene  Esqr 

Governor  of  the  Colony: 

who  departed  this  life 

J  any  23d  A.  D.  1758 

In  ye  62d  year  of  his  age. 

In  memory  of  the 

Honorable  William  Greene  Esqr 

Governor  of  this  State  for  a  number  of  years, 

Principally  during  the  period  of  the  successful 

Exertion  for  the  Independence  of  America. 

who  departed  this  life 

Nov.  29th  1809. 

In  the  78th  year  of  his  age. 

CROMPTON. 

Previous  to  the  year  1800,  the  territory,  for  miles 
around,  was  in  possession  of  a  comparatively  few  fami- 
lies ;  Westerly,  and  reaching  into  Coventry,  were  the 
estates  of  the  Tingleys  and  Mattesons ;  on  the  south 
was  the  farm  of  Thomas  Arnold,  a  part  of  one  of  the 
original  Coweset  farms,  and  assigned  to  Richard  Carder 
in  1685 ;  a  portion  of  which  is  now  owned  by  the  heirs 
of  Jonathan  and  James  Tiffany. 

Thomas  Arnold,  of  Coventry,  on  the  llth  day  of  March, 
1783,  as  per  deed  of  that  date,  sold  to  Thomas  Matteson, 
son  of  John,  for  one  hundred  and  twenty-one  pounds, 
seventeen  shillings,  lawful  money,  seventeen  acres  of  land, 
bounded,  "  north,  part  on  a  pond  and  part  on  land 
of  James  Greene  ;  south,  on  land  of  the  grantee  ;  west, 
on  a  highway,  and  east  on  land  of  said  James  Greene." 
Thomas  Matteson  was  the  grand-father  of  Mrs.  Albert 
EL  Arnold.     He  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  and  became 


THE  MATTESON   FAMILY.  163 

possessed  of  a  large  landed  estate ;  the  old  homestead  is 
the  house  now  occupied  by  Mr.  John  Phillips,  of  Quid- 
nick,  who  married  a  daughter  of  Elisha  Matteson,  a 
son  of  Thomas.  Mrs.  Phillips  inherited  it  from  her 
aunt.  The  blacksmith  shop  occupied  the  site  of  the 
dwelling-house  next  west  of  the  old  house  now  owned 
by  Mrs.  Eben  Henrys.  John,  the  brother  of  Elisha,  re- 
sided in  the  house  which  formerly  occupied  the  site  of 
the  present  fine  residence  of  Mr.  Albert  H.  Arnold. 
The  will  of  Thomas  Matteson  is  dated  March  14, 
1810.  After  making  suitable  provision  for  his  wife,  in 
addition  to  her  right  of  dower,  he  gave  to  his  son, 
George  Matteson.  all  the  land  he  had  bought  of  Job 
Greene  and  Benjamin  Fenner,  which  was  a  part  of  the 
farm  "formerly  owned  by  Col.  Christopher  Greene,"  to- 
gether with  all  his  blacksmith's  tools  and  one  hundred 
dollars  in  money.  To  his  two  daughters,  Sarah  and 
Marcy,  the  lot  of  land  opposite  the  dwelling-house,  con- 
taining, by  estimation,  forty-seven  acres ;"  also,  a  cow 
and  one  hundred  dollars  in  money  to  each  of  them,  with 
two-thirds  of  all  his  "  indoor  movable  property ;"  and 
after  mentioning  legacies  in  money  to  each  of  his  eight 
grand-children,  he  bequeathed  his  homestead,  farm,  and 
the  remainder  of  his  estate,  both  real  and  personal,  to 
his  two  sons.  Elisha  and  John,  to  be  equally  divided  be- 
tween them. 

John  Matteson  purchases  of  his  brother  Elisha,  at 
five  different  times,  from  April  10  to  August  25,  1827, 
133  acres,  at  a  total  cost  of  $4,365,  which,  with  the 
amount  inherited  from  his  father,  and  other  purchases, 
gives  him  an  ample  domain.  On  the  east  end  of  the 
present  farm  of  Mr.  Albert  H.  Arnold,  and  near  the 
river,  was  the  dwelling-house  of  Moses  Matteson, 
brother  of  Thomas,  which  was  torn  down  not  less  than 
sixty  years  ago.  The  site  of  it  may  be  still  seen.  The 
old  apple  trees  in  the  vicinity  of  it  probably  bear  some 
relation  to  the  old  house.  Near  by  is  a  spring  that  fur- 
nished water  for  its  inhabitants.  The  spring  is  now 
overflowed  by  the  river. 


164  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


To  the  north  was  the  land  of  James  Greene,  a  por- 
tion of  which  still  remains  in  possession  of  his  descend- 
ants. Easterly  was  farm  No.  4,  of  the  "Coweset  pur- 
chase," which  was  owned  in  1685,  by  the  heirs  of 
Ezekiel  Holliman,  who  is  spoken  of  as  '-a  pious,  godly 
man,"  and  who,  in  1636,  baptized  Roger  Williams, 
though  he  was  a  layman  in  the  church.  This  farm  was 
purchased  some  years  before  the  Revolutionary  war,  by 
Stephen  Arnold,  a  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas,  and  to  whom  refereuce  has  already  been  made. 
It  extended  from  the  Coweset  road  to  the  Highway  run- 
ning from  the  village  of  Apponaug  to  Centreville,  and 
contained  about  240  acres.  The  house  in  which  Judge 
Arnold  reared  a  Targe  family  still  stands  on  the  north 
side  of  the  road,  on  the  brow  of  the  hill  opposite  the 
Waterman  Clapp  farm. 

The  farm  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road  originally 
belonged  to  John  Greene,  Jr.,  in  1685,  and  the  house  in 
which  Mr.  Clapp  now  lives  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the 
vicinity.  It  was  the  ninth  in  the  Coweset  purchase. 
The  changes  that  led  to  its  present  ownership  can  be 
only  briefly  mentioned.  Among  the  children  of  John 
Greene  was  a  son  Peter,  who  was  born  February  4, 
1654;  Peter  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Stephen 
Arnold,  of  Pawtuxet.  They  had  seven  children,  the 
third  of  whom  was  named  John,  born  March  5,  1686-7. 
This  John — who  is  often  alluded  to  as  Capt.  John 
Greene,  of  Coweset,  to  distinguish,  him  from  several 
other  Johns  in  Warwick — married  Mary,  the  daughter 
of  his  uncle,  Job  Greene,  October  25,  1719.  Capt. 
John  Greene,  of  Coweset,  had  four  children,  one  daugh- 
ter of  whom  married  Silas  Clapp.  Capt.  Greene  died 
May  30,  1758,  aged  72.  In  his  will,  dated  August  5, 
1757,  after  several  bequests,  he  gave  his  daughter,  Mary 
Clapp,  wife  '  of  Silas,  the  homestead  farm  on  which  he 
dwelt,  and  .appointed  her  sole  executrix.  He  left  a 
widow  who.  was  insane,  and  made  special  provision  for 
her  comfort  during  her  life.  Silas  Clapp  died  March  19, 
1777,  aged   68,    and  lies  buried  in  the  walled  enclosure 


CROMPTON.  165 


upon  the  farm.  The  homestead  was  given  to  John 
Clapp,  whose  heirs  still  retain  possession  of  it.  Two 
years  ago  (1873),  there  were  four  brothers  and  sisters  of 
this  family,  upwards  of  eighty  3  ears  of  age,  three  of 
whom  were  living  in  the  old  homestead.  Wm.  Clapp,  of 
East  Greenwich,  aged  eighty-seven,  and  Miss  Marcy  Clapp 
in  her  eighty-second  year,  died  in  1873.  The  funeral  of 
the  latter  was  attended  by  Mrs.  Meder,  an  approved 
preacher  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  who,  herself,  was 
also  in  her  eighty-second  year.  Mr.  Waterman  Clapp  is 
still  vigorous,  at  the  ripe  age  of  eighty-eight,  while  his 
sister,  Miss  Ann  Clapp,  still  continues  her  pilgrimage  at 
the  advanced  age  of  ninety-two. 

On  the  east,  and  adjoining,  is  the  Ooweset  farm,  No.  8, 
and  belonging  in  1685,  to  Richard  Waterman,  who  was 
one  of  the  twelve  original  purchasers  of  Warwick,  of 
the  Indians.  Half  of  the  farm  fell  to  John  Waterman, 
great-grandson  of  Richard,  in  1720,  from  whom  it 
fell  to  his  son  William.  Capt.  William  died  at  an  ad- 
vanced age,  December  23,  1839.  His  daughter  Marcy, 
was  the  second  wife  of  the  late  James  Greene,  of  Centre- 
ville.  John  Waterman,  his  son,  inherited  the  farm,  and 
was  an  industrious  man,  and  worked  in  his  fields  until 
near  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  May  26, 1857. 
One  of  his  daughters  married  the  first  Governor  William 
Sprague. 

Somewhat  back  from  the  road  and  near  the  dividing 
line  between  the  Clapp  and  the  Waterman  farms,  is  a 
spot  known  as  the  "Old  Wigwam,"  a  place  that  was 
among  the  latest  in  this  vicinit}^  to  be  occupied  by  the 
natives.  Mr.  Waterman  Clapp  informed  me  last  year 
(1874)  that  it  used  to  be  a  favorite  place  for  him  when 
a  boy,  to  hunt  for  Indian  relics  which  were  numerous  at 
that  time. 

Farm  No.  3,  opposite,  was  purchased  of  Robert 
Potter's  heirs  in  1607,  by  Israel  Arnold  ot  Pawtuxet. 
A  portion  of  it  is  now  owned  by  the  heirs  of  Jonathan 
Remington.  The  next  plantation  east  belonged  also  to 
the    Remingtons.       The    family    came    originally  from 


166  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

Wales.  John,  the  first  we  have  any  knowledge  of,  and 
who  probably  was  the  progenitor  of  all  of  that  name  in 
Rhode  Island,  settled  in  Haverhill,  Massachusetts.  He 
became  a  citizen  of  Portsmouth,  in  Rhode  Island,  in 
1669.  Stephen,  one  of  his  sons,  was  one  of  the  grand 
jury  in  1688.  John,  Jr.,  who  we  think,  was  another  of 
his  sons,  was  admitted  a  freeman  in  1678.  John,  in 
1695,  gave  to  his  third  son  Thomas,  his  property  in 
Haverhill,  comprising  a  house  and  four  acres  of  land  on 
the  river.  Thomas  settled  on  Prudence  Island  and  sub- 
sequently located  in  Warwick.  He  bought  farm  No.  1, 
containing  240  acres,  of  John  Warner  and  Philip 
Sweete  in  1692-3  for  £57.  His  children  consisted  of 
eight  sons  and  two  daughters.  The  daughters'  names 
wrere  Prudence  and  Mary,  the  latter  bearing  the  name 
of  her  mother.  The  sons  were  John,  Thomas,  William, 
Daniel,  Joseph,  Stephen,  Matthew  and  Jonathan.  His 
will,  according  to  a  singular  custom,  was  proved  before 
his  death,  which,  however,  occurred  soon  after.  His 
son  William,  when  he  sold  his  share  of  the  farm  in  1712, 
to  George  Whitman,  Jr.,  of  Kingston,  reserved  "  the 
burying  ground  where  his  father  and  grandfather  are  " 
interred.  It  seems  from  this  that  John  Remington  was 
buried  in  this  place:  t% an  old  tombstone  may  be  seen 
there  bearing  the  initials  of  his  name  with  the  date  of 
his  death."  The  present  owners  of  a  portion  of  the 
estate  are  Mr.  Thomas  Jones  Spencer,  son  of  Gideon, 
who  was  the  originator  of  the  famous  Spencer's  pills. 
Mr.  Spencer  has  greatly  improved  his  estate,  having 
now  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  town.  Mr.  Thomas 
Levalley  also  possesses  a  part  of  the  estate. 

Thomas  Remington,  Sr.,  devised  to  Thomas,  Jr., 
William  and  John,  all  his  lands,  they  to  pay  legacies  to 
the  other  children.  As  some  of  the  sons  married  they 
removed  from  Warwick  and  scattered  the  name  of 
Remington  over  a  large  territory.  Thomas  married 
Maplet,  daughter  of  Capt.  Benjamin  Gorton,  December 
28,  1710;  their  children  were  Maplet,  born  July  11, 
1712  ;  Mary,    May  17,  1715 ;  Stephen,  June  26,  1720 ; 


THE   REMINGTON    FAMILY.  167 

Thomas,  August  19,  1723.  The  father  died,  September 
25,  1723,  aged  41.  In  the  inventory,  of  140  acres,  the 
farm  was  valued  at  £600,  and  an  Indian  apprentice  at 
£24.  This  farm  was  No.  2,  on  the  plat  of  the  Coweset 
farms,  and  was  originall}-  assigned  to  John  Smith,  but 
inherited  by  his  heirs,  the  two  children  of  Lieut.  Eliza 
Collins,  and  from  them  to  Samuel  Barnes  of  Swanzey, 
and  was  afterwards  sold  by  the  latter,  in  1712,  to 
Thomas  Remington,  for  £243.  Thomas  Remington 
sold  100  acres  on  the  north  end  to  his  brother  Daniel 
for  £100,  in  October,  1715.  Benjamin  F.  Remington 
now  owns  and  lives  on  the  farm  where  his  ancestors 
ploughed  the  first  furrow  in  the  virgin  soil.  Thomas, 
the  fourth  child  of  Thomas  and  Maplet,  was  married  to 
Abigail  Eldred,  December  14, 1744.  Their  children  are 
as  follows:  Thomas,  one  oi"  triplets,  two  of  whom  died 
in  a  few  days,  was  born  October  24,  1747.  He  was  a 
judge  several  years,  and  resided  in  Coventry  ;  Maplet, 
born  June  16, 1749,  married  William  Rice  of  Crompton  ; 
Sarah  married  Charles  Holden  of  Providence  ;  Benjamin, 
born  September  2,  1752 ;  the  next  day,  by  the  new 
calendar,  the  3d  of  September  was  reckoned  the  14th, 
consequently  young  Benjamin,  though  but  two  days  old, 
was  made  to  appear,  by  the  hocus  pocus  of  figures, 
fourteen  days  old.  Benjamin  was  one  of  the  owners  of 
the  Crompton  mill.  Mary,  another  daughter,  was  born, 
in  1754;  John,  November  2,  1756.  He  was  a  captain 
in  the  Revolutionary  Army,  and  died  in  North  Adams, 
Massachusetts.  Jonathan  was  born  September  9,  1758  ; 
he  settled  in  Berkshire  county,  Massachusetts,  and  was 
a  man  of  some  political  importance,  and  frequently 
represented  the  town  of  Cheshire  in  the  Legislature, 
previous  to  1793  ;  James  W.  was  born  May  28,  1760 ; 
Henry,  July  28,  1764 ;  he  was  judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court  from  1801  to  1808,  and  a  fluent,  energetic  debater. 
Four  of  these  brothers  were  in  the  American  army 
during  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  The  father  died 
April  12,  1808,  in  his  85th  year.  Mrs.  R.  died  April  14, 
1766,  in  her  43d  year. 


168  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

At  the  establishment  of  the  Crompton  mills,  Benja- 
min, already  alluded  to  as  one  of  the  new  company, 
lived  upon  the  family  estate,  about  a  mile  distant,  on  the 
Coweset  road.  He  was  a  member  of  the  town  council 
and  of  the  legislature ;  he  married  Phebe,  daughter  of 
Capt.  Matthew  Manchester.  His  second  wife  was  Lydia 
and  the  third  Nancy  ;  they  were  all  sisters,  and  died  be- 
tween their  31st  and  33d  years.  He  married  the  fourth 
time  into  another  family,  and  died  himself  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1837.  He  left  140  acres  of  land  to  his  sons,  Jon- 
athan and  Thomas,  the  latter  the  father  of  Benjamin  F. 

The  present  dwelling  house  of  Mr.  James  E.  Whitford 
stands  on  the  site  of  the  former  residence  of  Judge 
Othniel  Gorton,  who  was  chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Rhode  Island  from  1788  to  1790.  Just  after 
the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  Judge  Gor.ton  acted 
as  chairman  of  a  committee  appointed  by  the  General  As- 
sembly, to  enquire  into  the  conduct  of  certain  persons 
suspected  of  disloyalty.  During  the  process  of  the  ex- 
amination, some  person  affixed  to  the  door  of  his  house 
an  insulting  and  threatening  paper,  designed  to  intimi- 
date him  from  prosecuting  his  enquiries.  The  General 
Assembly  offered  a  reward  of  five  hundred  dollars  for  in- 
formation leading  to  the  discovery  of  the  offender. 

THE   OLD   SCHOOL  HOUSE. 

About  half  a  mile  east  of  the  village,  on  the  land  of 
Mr.  Waterman  Clapp,  may' still  be  seen  the  debris  of  the 
old  school  house,  built  in  the  year  1798.  The  house 
originally  stood  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road,  on  land 
owned  by  Judge  Stephen  Arnold.  The  land  was  given 
by  the  Judge  for  school  purposes,  to  revert  to  the  original 
owner  when  no  longer  used  for  these  purposes. 

The  house  was  built  by  subscription,  and  was  a  small 
one  story  building,  but  was  regarded  as  a  very  creditable 
affair  at  the  time.  It  was  estimated  to  cost  -$150,  but, 
like   most   of   such   estimates,  it  exceeded   this  amount 


SCHOOLS    AND   SCHOOL   TEACHEBS.  169 


by  $50.  There  were  twenty  shares,  of  which  Mr.Clapp's 
father  held  four ;  sixteen  other  persons  held  one  share 
each.  The  teachers  were  supported  by  a  tuition  tax 
upon  the  pupils,  and  though  a  private  school,  it  was  de- 
signed to  furnish  educational  facilities  for  all  the  families 
then  residing  within  the  limits  of  the  present  village  of 
Crompton,  as  well  as  those  in  the  farming  regions  round 
about.  The  first  teacher  was  James  Pollard,  an  English- 
man, who  is  still  remembered  by  Mr.  Clapp,  from  whom 
most  of  the  items  connected  with  the  building  have  been 
obtained.  Mr.  Clapp  was  one  of  his  pupils.  Mr.  Pol- 
lard's daughter,  Mrs.  Cady,  mother  of  Mr.  Ezra  J.  Cady,  of 
Centreville,  is  still  living,  though  at  the  present  time  old 
and  blind.  Mr.  Clapp  showed  the  writer  a  family  record 
written,  or  rather  printed  with  the  pen,  by  Mr.  Pollard, 
and  if  he  was  as  well  qualified  to  teach  the  other  branches 
of  knowledge  as  he  evidentty  was  that  of  penmanship, 
the  interests  of  his  pupils  must  have  been  very  well  pro- 
vided for.  Quite  a  number  of  persons  are  now  living  in 
this  region,  who  attended  school  there,  among  them  Mrs. 
Oliver  Arnold,  who  then  lived  a  couple  of  miles  south, 
and  Mr.  Albert  H.  Arnold,  who  then  lived  at  his  home, 
on  the  Apponaug  road,  and  who  had  the  misfortune  to 
pitch  off  the  bank  near  the  school  house  and  break  his 
arm. 

Mr.  Pollard  was  followed  as  teacher  by  Mr.  Bennett 
Holden,Miss  Lucy  Glover,  Miss  Pond  and  Oliver  Johnson, 
Esq.,  now  of  Providence,  and  others.  In  1826,  Mr.  Clapp 
bought  up  the  shares,  at  a  dollar  and  a  quarter  a  share, 
and  removed  the  building  upon  his  land  directly  across 
the  road,  where  it  was  still  used  for  several  years,  until 
about  the  year  1830.  When  it  was  no  longer  needed 
for  a  school  house  it  was  altered  into  a  tenement,  and 
an  additional  story  was  added  to  its  height.  Mrs.  Lucy 
Sweet,  a  respectable  colored  woman,  was  a  tenant  at  one 
time.  Like  most  of  its  teachers  and  pupils  who  im- 
parted or  received  instruction  within  its  walls,  it  could 
not  resist  the  increasing  infirmities  of  time,  and 
finally  went  to   decay  and   blew   down  seven   or  eight 

15 


170 


HISTORY   OF    WARWICK. 


years  ago,  leaving  only  the  foundation  walls  and  the 
shattered  remains  of  the  building  to  mark  the  spot  where 
stood  the  first  school-house  for  miles  around,  and  where 
the  aged  fathers  and  mothers  in  this  vicinity  received 
their  early  instruction. 

During  the  time  in  which  the  old  school-house  was  in 
use,  the  village  of  Crompton  had  come  into  existence. 
The  present  site  of  the  village  with  many  contiguous 
acres  fell  at  a  very  early  period  into  the  possession  of 
the  Mattesons.  Henry  Matteson  devised  by  will,  Dec. 
12,  1756,  this  tract  to  his  two  sons,  Nicholas  and 
Isaac,  the  former  of  whom  married  Abigail,  daughter  of 
Jonathan  Cook.  They  sold  to  William  Rice,  for  £1200, 
June  4, 1779,  127  acres  of  land  and  a  dwelling  house, 
the  boundaries  of  which  were :  a  highway  on  the  south, 
east  and  west;  northerly,  by  land  of  James  Greene  and 
Thomas  Matteson.  The  highway  alluded  to  is  the 
ancient  one  leading  from  Centreville  in  a  southerly  di- 
rection until  it  meets  the  Coweset  road,  then  running 
south-westerly  along  the  Pawtuxet  to  the  village  of 
Washington.  Mr.  Rice  purchased  on  both  sides  of  the 
Pawtuxet,  meeting  James  Greene's  land  at  Centreville, 
and  both  his  and  Thomas  Matteson's  at  Matteson's  pond. 
Some  of  the  bounds,  as  laid  down  upon  the  Matteson 
deed,  are  not  now  in  existence;  for  instance,  a  large 
spiing  in  the  south-west  corner  which  has  been  over- 
flowed since  the  erection  of  the  dams.  Paper  currency 
depreciated  so  rapidly  after  the  sale  that  the  Mattesons 
were  scarcely  able  to  exchange  their  £1200  lor  a  yoke 
of  oxen. 

Wm.  Rice,  April  1,  1784,  bought  of  Ephraim  Tingley, 
of  Coventry,  son  of  Ephraim,  37  acres  with  a  grist  mill 
and  house,  for  the  sum  of  £240.  The  Tingley  mill  was 
very  old  and  was  probably  contemporaneous  with  the 
settlement  of  the  Coweset  farms  ;  a  part  of  this  farm  is 
now  owned  and  occupied  by  Mr.  Gideon  B.  Whitford. 
The  old  house  in  which  Wm.  Rice  lived,  that  stood  on 
the  site  of  the  one  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Whitford,  was 
torn  down  some  years  ago.     The  grist  mill  was  situated 


MANUFACTURING. 


171 


just  across  the  Warwick  line  in  Coventry,  a  little  south 
of  the  canal  that  conveys  water  to  the  mills,  near  the 
upper  dam,  and  opposite  the  house  of  George  Tiffany. 
The  site  of  the  present  village  in  1800,  was  a  dense 
forest,  in  which,  Mr.  Waterman  Clapp  informed  me,  he 
often  hunted  rabbits  and  partridges  in  his  boyhood. 
Another  old  resident  corroborates  the  fact  that  the 
ground  was  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  wood,  in- 
termingled with  laurel,  so  dense,  that  the  sun  of  mid-day 
sought  the  ground  in  vain.  A  spot  just  in  front  of 
where  the  Catholic  Church  now  stands,  was  noted  as  a 
haunted  spot.  It  is  said  that  William  Clapp,  when  a 
young  man,  was  passing  from  his  home  to  the  grist  mill 
at  Centreville,  and  when  near  that  spot,  he  saw  what  he 
thought  was  a  man,  but  as  he  looked  at  it,  it  gradually 
faded  out  of  sight,  and  nothing  would  convince  him  that 
he  had  not  seen  an  apparition.  Dr.  Sylvester  Knight,  it 
was  said,  observed  the  same  phenomenon.  Another  spot 
in  Centreville,  on  the  opposite  corner  from  the  old  tavern 
house,  enjoyed  the  unenviable  notoriety  of  being  the 
Haunted  Corner.  Mr.  Clapp  said  that  when  his  father 
used  to  send  him  to  the  grist  mill,  he  always  made  it  a 
point  to  get  by  these  places  before  dark.  The  old  gen- 
tleman related  with  great  merriment  these  incidents  of 
his  youthful  days. 

The  first  attempts  at  manufacturing  in  this  village  be- 
gan in  1807,  on  which  date,  a  company  of  eight  men,  five 
of  whom  lived  in  Providence,  and  the  others  in  this 
vicinity,  purchased  20  acres  of  land  of  Wm.  Rice,  for 
$1050  ;  Seth  Wheatou,  held  nine  shares  ;  Thomas  Ses- 
sions, six ;  John  K.  Pitman,  six;  Henry  Smith,  four; 
Nathaniel  Searle,  two  ;  Jonathan  Tiffany,  two  ;  Benjamin 
Remington,  one  ;  the  last  two  were  citizens  of  Warwick. 
The  company  styled  themselves  "The  Providence  Manu- 
facturing Company."  As  the  capital  stock  was  divided 
into  32  shares,  there  is  one  not  accounted  for.  It  is  said 
to  have  belonged  to  Wm.  Rice,  who,  being  apprehensive 
of  future  embarrassment,  would  not  permit  his  name  to 
go  upon  the  town's  records  as  one  of  the  original  band. 


172  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


The  head  of  this  firm  was  Col.  Seth  Wheaton,  a  native 
of  Providence,  and  a  good  specimen  of  her  former  mer- 
chants. He  died  October  26,  1827,  aged  68.  His  only 
son,  Henry  Wheaton,  was  a  noted  man,  and  his  name 
will  be  remembered  long  after  the  mills  that  his  father 
raised  in  Crompton  have  crumbled  into  dust.  Mr.  Ses- 
sions was  well  known  as  a  man  of  business,  though  he 
excited  much  opposition.  Nathaniel  Searle  was  a  tal- 
ented lawyer.  Benjamin  Remington  was  a  farmer,  and 
lived  on  the  Coweset  road.  Major  Jonathan  Tiffany 
resided  at  Centreville,  though  he  subsequently  removed 
to  Crompton,  where  his  descendants  now  live.  He  as- 
sisted in  making  the  machinery  for  the  mills  at  Anthony 
and  Crompton. 

The  Stone  mill,  called  formerly  by  some,  in  derision, 
"  the  stone  Jug,"  now  designated  as  No.  1,  was  built  in 
1807,*  and  the  village  was  known  for  some  years  as  the 
Stone  factory.  It  is  said  to  be  the  lirst  stone  cotton  mill 
built  in  the  State.  Additional  land  was  purchased  of 
Wm.  Rice  and  Thomas  Matteson  in  1808.  In  January, 
of  this  year,  Mr.  Wheaton  sold  seven  shares  of  his  stock 
to  Sullivan  Dorr,  for  $6,720.  Roger  Alexander,  of  Cum- 
berland, purchased  two  shares  and  gave  the  company 
the  benefit  of  his  intimate  knowledge  of  cotton  spinning. 
Alexander  sold  his  shares  to  the  company  in  1812,  for 
the  sum  ot  $2,900,  In  1814,  Mr.  Dorr  sold  all  his  in- 
terest in  the  concern,  consisting  of  ten  shares,  to  Thomas 
Sessions.  Wm.  Marchant,  o±  Newport,  bought  one- 
twelith,  for  $8,000,  in  1814,  and  Mr.  Pitman,  the  same 
year,  sold  to  Sessions,  Smith,  Searle  and  Tiffany,  all  his 
right  in  the  real  and  personal  estate  of  the  Company, 
being  six-thirty -second  parts,  for  $31,810,  and  took  a 
mortgage  on  the  property.  The  company  remodeled  the 
shares  among  themselves,  and  made  Sessions  their  agent. 
In  May  16,  1816,  .he  company  failed,  and  made  an  as- 
signment to  Philip  Allen  and  Samuel  Abort).  Pitman 
recovered  judgment  against  the  surviving  assignee  (Mr. 

*  Tlie  cap  stone  over  the  door  bearing  tlie  date  of  18u(i,  was  placed 
there  in  the  year  18(52  3.      The  true  date  is  1807  as  above  given. 


TIFFANY  S    MILL   AND   FLAT   TOP.  173 

Aborn  being  dead),  in  an  action  of  tresspass  and  eject- 
ment, and  appointed  John  Whipple  to  act  as  his  at- 
torney on  the  premises,  August  30,  1818.  Within  this 
time  Jonathan  Tiffany  had  charge  of  the  mills  for  about 
two  years.  After  sundry  conveyances  from  one  member 
to  another,  from  some  of  the  associates  to  outsiders, 
from  the  latter  back  to  the  former,  conveyances  great 
in  numbers,  comprehensive  in  quality,  perfectly  legible  to 
lawyers,  but  entirely  hieroglyphical  to  the  uninitiated — 
after  all  the  ink  was  spilt  and  paper  used  up,  Mr.  Pitman 
took  possession  in  January,  1819.  The  inventory  spreads 
over  eleven  folio  pages  of  the  records  of  Warwick. 

One  or  two  other  mills,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  vil- 
lage, claim  a  passing  notice.  Shortly  after  the  failure  of 
the  Providence  Manufacturing  Company,  in  1816,  Major 
Jonathan  Tiffany  and  John  K.  Pitman  his  brother-in-law, 
built  a  stone  mill  about  50  feet  by  70,  on  the  east  side  of 
the  turnpike,  near  the  Flat  Top.  Two  dwelling-bouses 
stand  near  the  site  of  the  mill  at  present.  The  mill  was 
two  stories  high,  with  a  basement,  in  which  a  store  was 
kept  at  first,  but  which  was  subsequently  used  for  manu- 
facturing purposes.  It  was  used  for  spinning  yarn 
which  was  put  out  to  be  woven  by  hand-looms.  They 
continued  to  run  it  until  about  1827,  when  it  passed 
into  the  hands  of  the  Major's  sons,  Jonathan  and  John 
K.  Tiffany.  Gen.  James  G.  Anthony  was  associated 
with  them  for  several  years.  The  new  firm  made 
wadding.  John  K.  Tiffan}-  died  in  October,  1836.  The 
mill  continued  in  operation  until  the  year  1844.  The 
supply  of  water  was  small,  but  the  fall  was  over  thirty- 
feet.  The  mill  was  taken  down  in  1848,  and  a  portion 
of  the  stone  was  used  in  the  addition  made  to  No.  1 
mill  of  the  Crompton  Company. 

The  old  "  Flat  Top,"  occupying  the  site  of  the  present 
building,  was  erected  about  the  same  time  as  the  preced- 
ing, by  Capt.  William  Rice  and  his  son-in-law,  James  E. 
Remington,  and  was  used  for  the  same  purpose — the 
spinning  of  cotton  yarn.  It  has  had  various  occupants, 
but  none  of  them  seem  to  have  found  it  a  very  desirable 
*15 


174  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


spot.  John  J.  Wood  and  John  Higgins,  used  it  awhile. 
It  came  into  the  hands  of  John  Allen,  of  Centreville,  who 
held  a  heavy  mortgage  upon  it.  Mr.  Allen  let  it  for  a 
while  to  his  nephew,  Alexander  Allen,  during  which 
time  it  burned  down,  a  fate  that  attended  it  twice  after- 
wards. Job  Card,  Thomas  Marble,  Daniel  Maguire, 
Ezra  J.  Cady,  and  others  have  at  different  times  been 
connected  with  its  management. 

The  Crompton  mills  were  rented  three  years  from  Nov. 
29, 1820,  of  Mrs.  Mary  Dorrance  and  Asa  Larned,  the  ex- 
ecutors of  John  K.  Pitman,  deceased,  to  Messrs.  Rhodes, 
of  Pawtuxet,  Elisha  P.  Smith  and  Tully  Dorrance,  of 
Providence.  In  Feb.  26,  1823,  before  the  expiration  of 
the  lease,  the  executors  sold  the  mortgage  for  less  than 
principal  and  interest,  to  Seth  Wheaton  and  Edward 
Carrington,  who,  in  March,  1823,  entered  into  a  co-part- 
nership with  Benjamin  Cozzens.  The  new  owners 
changed  the  title  of  the  company  and  called  it  the 
Crompton  Company,  in  honor  of  the  celebrated  English 
machinist  of  that  name.  The  village,  at  a  public  meet- 
ing of  its  citizens,  subsequently,  also  assumed  that  name. 
A  lawsuit  sprang  out  of  the  violation  of  the  lease.  The 
trial  took  place  at  Apponaug,  before  two  referees,  the 
late  Judge  Brayton  and  Judge  Dntee  Arnold,  of  Arnold's 
Bridge,  now  called  Pontiac.  In  1823,  the  new  company 
started  a  Bleachery,  the  manager  of  which  was  Edward 
Pike,  of  Sterling,  Conn.  Cotton  mill  No.  2  was  built  in 
1828,  and  No.  3  in  1832.  The  wood  work  of  the  letter 
mill  was  done  under  the  direction  of  Dea.  Pardon  Spen- 
cer, who  had  general  charge  of  the  wood  work  about 
the  mills  for  several  years.  Not  long  afterwards,  the 
company  branched  out  into  calico  piinting.  Sanford 
Durfee.  Esq.,  late  treasurer  of  the  companjs  was  con- 
nected with  the  works  from  about  the  year  1830  to  1818, 
a  part  of  the  time  as  superintendent  or  agent  of  the  con- 
cern. An  unusual  prosperity  attended  the  company 
during  the  last  six  months  of  1844  and  the  first  six 
months  of  1845,  in  which  it  is  said  the  print  woiksmade 
for  their  owners  a  profit  of  $>  100,000.     The  year  1837 


THE   OLD    CLAPP    SCHOOL-HOUSE.  175 

was  one  of  disaster  to  this  concern,  and  in  1846,  was 
another  crash  and  break  down.  After  many  revolutions 
of  fortune,  of  good  and  had  luck,  the  three  cotton  mills 
and  print  works  were  sold  by  the  mortgagees  to  several 
gentlemen,  and  a  new  order  of  things  commenced.  The 
number  of  the  proprietors  was  diminished  by  another 
change  and  the  whole  estate  fell  into  the  hands  of  Gov. 
Charles  Jackson,  Earl  P.  Mason,  Daniel  Bush,  and  Wm. 
T.  Dorrance,  of  Providence.  The  print  works  were 
leased  to  Abbott  &  Sanders,  in  1852,  and  afterwards  to 
Sanders  alone,  who  continued  to  run  them  until  within 
a  few  years.  The  following  were  the  measurements  of 
the  several  mills:  No.  1,  117  feet  long  and  33  feet  wide, 
and  three  stories  high  ;  No.  2,  96  feet  long  and  35  feet 
wide  with  an  addition.  60  feet  long  and  21  feet  wide, 
and  four  stories  high  ;  No.  3,  109  feet  long,  42  feet  wide, 
and  two  stories  hu>h.* 

THE  PUBLIC   SCHOOL-HOUSE. 

An  interval  of  about  fifteen  years  elapsed  between 
the  giving  up  of  the  old  Clapp  school-house  and 
the  erection  of  the  first  public  school  house  in  this 
village  in  1845.  Of  the  fifteen  or  twenty  families 
who  sent  their  children  to  the  former,  during  the 
first  ten  years,  a  majority  lived  to  the  eastward  of 
the  old  Baptist  church  on  the  hill.  When  the  cotton 
mills  were  erected,  the  site  of  the  village  began  suddenly 
to  change.  The  thick  wo  >ds  began  to  disappear  and 
houses  sprung  up  in  every  direction,  and  there  was  a 
demand  for  school  privileges  nearer  at  hand.  Con- 
sequently, fallowing  the  law  of  demand  and  supply, 
schools  being  demanded,  schools  were  supplied.  Between 
the  years  1810  and  1820,  a  school  was  kept  in  several 
places.  One  in  what  was  known  as  the  old  Weave 
Shop — a  building  that  stands  not  far  from  the  store  of 
Dea.   Pardon  Spencer,  on    the   opposite  side  of  the  road 

*  Within  a  few  years  some  alterations  have  been  made,  increasing 
the  capacity  of  some  of  the  buildings. 


176 


HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


— was  taught  for  a  while  by  Rev.  David  Curtis,  the  first 
pastor  of  the  Baptist  church.  The  old  Weave  Shop 
and  the  dwelling  house  east  of  it,  on  the  same  side  of  the 
road,  were  owned  by  John  Arnold,  and  had  no 
connection  with  the  other  manufacturing  property. 
Besides  being  used  for  a  day  school,  Elder  Curtis  held 
religious  meetings  there,  and  in  the  same  building, 
probably,  the  first  Sabbath  school  in  this  region  was 
held.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  road,  at  a  later  date, 
in  the  basement  of  the  Henry  J.  Holden  house.  Mr. 
Silas  Clapp,  and  Thomas  R.  Holden,  Esq.,  were  teachers 
at  different  times,  both  of  whom  are  remembered  as 
such  by  their  pupils  now  residing  in  the  village.  Mr. 
Holden  died  in  Providence,  September  10,  1865,  and 
was  a  man  beloved  and  respected  by  all  who  knew 
him. 

The  last  place  used  for  a  school-room,  previous  to  the 
erection  of  a  school-house,  was  the  "Store  Chamber,'' 
which  was  also  used  for  public  religious  worship  for 
about  a  dozen  years  previous  to  the  erection  of  the 
Baptist  church  in  184o.  Here  Miss  Pond,  who  had 
taught  in  the  old  Clapp  school-house,  was  one  of  the 
earliest  teachers ;  Mr.  Pierce,  Peter  Healy,  Arnold 
Weaver,  Deacon  Stilhnan,  Dr.  McGreggor,  who  after- 
wards settled  in  Providence,  and  was  accidentally  killed 
there  a  few  years  ago,  Rev.  Thomas  Dowling,  at  the 
time  also  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church,  Alice  and  Eliza 
Briggs,  Susan  Lincoln,  the  present  wife  of  Deacon  Oren 
Spencer,  of  Washington,  also  taught  here. 

On  April  28,  1845,  a  meeting  was  held  "  to  consider 
the  propriety  of  building  a  school-house  for  the  use  of 
the  district."  Deacon  Pardon  Spencer  was  chosen 
moderator,  and  Wm.  M.  Brown,  secretary.  After  con- 
sultation and  several  adjournments,  the  district  voted  to 
purchase  the  lot  on  which  the  house  now  stands.  The 
size  of  the  lot  is  104  feet  by  212,  and  cost  $275. 
Deacon  Spencer  was  instructed  by  the  meeting  to 
present  a  draft  of  a  suitable  house,  and  on  September 
4th,  offered  a  modified    plan  of  the  Central  Falls  school- 


CROMPTON    SCHOOL  HOUSE.  177 

house,"  33  feet  by  37,  two  stories,  hip  roof,  belfry 
in  the  centre,  height  of  lower  room,  11  feet,  upper 
room  10  feet,  &c.,  which  was  accepted.  The  house 
was  probably  completed  in  the  summer,  as  on  the  17th 
of  November,  the  district  "  voted  to  paint  the  school- 
house  a  color  similar  to  Mrs.  Remington's  house  outside, 
and  inside  dark  pea-green."  The  cost  of  the  house  was 
$2,717  54.  Among  the  teachers  who  taught  at  different 
times  were  the  following:  Wm.  Baker,  Samuel  Sanford, 
Solomon  P.  Wells,  T.  V.  Haines,  Rev.  Henry  A.  Cooke, 
Misses  Anna  B.  Holden,  Emily  Bennett,  Myrtilla  M. 
Peirce,  Rev.  L.  W.  Wheeler,  Lvsander  Flagg,  W.  A. 
Anthony,  James  B.  Spencer,  Miss  Sarah  J.  Spencer, 
Miss  Carrie  M.  Hubbard,  Mrs.  Rowena  Tobey,  Dwight 
R.  Adams,  and  others.  During  the  summer  term  of 
1867,  the  house  was  entirely  destroyed  bjr  fire,  which 
was  supposed  to  have  been  the  work  of  an  incendiary. 
All  the  books  used  by  the  teachers  and  pupils  were 
burned,  and  the  school  was  driven  for  temporary  accom- 
modations to  the  old  "  Block  Shop.'"  The  building  was 
insured  for  $1,800.  The  district,  with  commendable 
energy,  soon  appointed  a  committee  to  present  plans  and 
specifications  for  a  new  building,  which  resulted  in  the 
present  edifice.  The  building  is  of  btick,  3*4  feet  by  36, 
arranged  for  three  departments,  warmed  by  a  Jillson's 
portable  furnace,  and  cost  about  $  >,000.  It  was  dedi- 
cated with  appropriate  services  February  1,  1868,  the 
•  Superintendent  of  Sehools  giving  the  address.  The 
present  teachers  are  Mr.  John  M.  Nye,  and  Miss  Ella  J. 
Hatha  wav. 

Among  the  men  that  were  prominent  in  the  village 
forty  years  ago,  were  Frederick  Hamilton,  father  of  the 
late  Henry  Hamilton.  At  one  time  he  kept  the  boarding 
house,  the  house  next  west  of  Mr.  Booth's  Hotel.  He 
delighted  in  religious  discussioi  s  and  was  accustomed  to 
sit  in  religious  meetings  with  a  handkerchief  over  his 
head  as  a  compensation  lor  the  want  of  the  comfortable 
warmth  of  our  modern  sanctuaries.  If  the  sentiments 
of  the  preacher  were   not   in  accordance  with  his  views 


178  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

of  orthodoxy,  he  would  turn  a  shoulder  toward  him, 
and  in  case  the  doctrine  appeared  to  him  decidedly 
heterodox,  he  would  manage  to  get  his  face  in  nearly 
the  opposite  direction  from  the  preacher ;  or,  perhaps, 
march  down  the  long  stairs  of  the  old  Weave  Shop, 
where  the  services  were  held,  and  go  home.  He  brought 
up  a  large  family,  all  of  whom  are  now  dead.  His  son 
Henry,  who  died  a  few  months  ago,  was  the  last  of  his 
children,  and  a  man  of  warm  sympathies,  active  in 
the  community,  and  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  for 
more  than  forty  years. 

John  J.  Wood  was  another  prominent  man — an  agent 
or  superintendent  of  the  mills,  for  some  years,  and  an 
active  promoter  of  everything  good  in  the  village.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  for  some  years 
its  treasurer,  of  a  somewhat  cautious  disposition  but 
always  ready  to  do  more  than  he  would  promise. 
During  the  latter  years  of  his  life  he  kept  a  store  in  a 
small  building  that  stood  just  opposite  Mr.  Booth's  hotel. 
He  died  November  25,  I860,  at  the  age  of  64.  One  of 
his  daughters  married  the  late  Dr.  William  A.  Hubbard, 
who,  for  many  years,  was  a  practicing  physician  of  the 
village.  Dr.  Hubbard  was  born  in  Killingly,  Conn., 
educated  afr Pittsfield,  Mass.,  and  was  a  popular  physician, 
having  a  large  practice.  He  had  several  students  of 
medicine  at  different  times,  among  whom  were  his 
brother,  the  late  Dr.  Henry  Hubbard,  Dr.  McGreggor, 
Dr.  Card,  of  South  Kingston,  and  Dr.  Pike,  who  settled  . 
in  Connecticut.  Dr.  Hubbard  died  March  1,  1857,  and 
lies  in  Point  Pleasant  cemetery  at  Centreville.  Another 
daughter  married  Hon.  Charles  T.  Northup,  Chief  State 
Constable  of  Rhode  Island. 

Captain  John  Holden,  or  as  he  was  more  familiarly 
called,  Squire  Holden,  was  a  well-known  citizen  of  the 
village  and  a  man  of  some  excellent  traits  of  character. 
He  was  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  an  office,  at  that  time,  of 
considerable  consequence.  In  early  life  he  had  followed 
the  sea.  He  was  the  first  book-keeper  of  the  Providence 
Manufacturing  Company,  and    subsequently    opened    a 


CENTREVILLE.  179 


variety  store,  the  only  one  in  the  village  for  some  years, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Company's  store.  Beside  the 
usual  variety  of  dry  and  West  India  goods,  he  kept — as 
was  the  custom  with  such  stores  of  that  time — a  constant 
supply  of  liquor,  but  for  some  years  previous  to  his 
death  he  voluntarily  gave  up  the  sale  of  the  latter  com- 
modity. Liquor-selling  and  liquor- drinking  were  not 
then  regarded  in  the  moral  light  in  which  they  now  are. 
Capt.  Holden  was  a  constant  attendant  upon  the 
religious  meetings  in  the  village,  and  participated  in  the 
singing,  which  he  especially  enjoyed.  Previous  to  his 
death,  his  son,  Thomas  Rice  Holden,  was  made  a  Justice 
of  the  Peace,  in  the  place  of  his  father.* 

Many  changes  and  improvements  have  taken  place  in 
the  village  since  the  present  efficient  superintendent, 
Harvey  S.  Bartlett,  Esq.,  has  had  charge  of  the  mills,  a 
period  of  about  ten  years.  The  old  print  works 
buildings  have  been  demolished,  the  old  block  shop 
succumbed  to  the  September  gale  a  few  years  ago.  Four 
of  the  large  two-story  tenement  buildings,  among  the 
first  erected  in  the  village,  were  sold  to  Dea.  Pardon 
Spencer  and  his  brother  a  few  years  ago,  and  removed  to 
other  locations,  and  new  and  commodious  ones  erected 
in  their  places ;  additions  and  improvements  have  been 
made  to  the  mills ;  the  tenement  houses  that  stood  upon 
the  "  island  "  were  removed  to  the  hill  opposite ;  houses 
that  stood  in  unsightly  positions  have  been  placed  in 
line,  and  the  streets  improved,  and  sidewalks  made,  and 
the  village  made  to  assume  a  cleanlv  and  comfortable 
appearance. 

CENTREVILLE. 

The  name  of  this  village  is  said  to  have  originated 
with  Sabin  Lewis,  a  school-teacher  here  in  the  first 
decade  of  the  present  century.  We  hazard  the  conjec- 
ture that  Mr.  Lewis  as  a  school-teacher  possessed  some 
knowledge  of  geography,  and  did  not  intend  to  suggest 

*  For  many  of  the  items  of  person^  and  events  connected  with  this 
village,  I  am  indebted  to  my  friend,  Dea.  Pardon  Spencer. 


180  HISTOKY   OF   WARWICK. 

that  the  village  was  situated  in  the  geographical  centre 
of  the  town,  but  rather  that  it  was  centrally  located  as 
related  to  the  surrounding  villages.  The  exact  time 
when  the  first  settlement  was  made  is  unknown,  but  it 
was  probably  previous  to  the  year  1700.  In  1677,  the 
proprietors  of  the  town  granted  to  Henry  Wood,  John 
Smith,  John  Greene,  and  John  Warner,  a  tract  of  land,  of 
one  hundred  acres  in  extent,  with  two  other  small  pieces, 
one  containing  one  acre  and  the  other  two  acres,  with 
certain  privileges,  "  on  ye  fresh  river  in  ye  township  of 
Coweset,  beinge  ye  south  branch  yt  runs  towards 
Pawtuxet."  The  consideration  was,  that  these  persons 
should  erect  a  saw-rnill  on  the  river.  There  are  certain 
items  that  point  to  this  place  as  the  spot  designated, 
while  other  items  mentioned  in  the  record  leave  the 
matter  somewhat  doubtful.  In  1692,  the  Wecochacon- 
net  grant  of  2100  acres  in  this  vicinity  was  made,  and 
which  has  been  referred  to  on  page  87. 

A  saw-mill  is  known  to  have  stood  here  early  in  the 
eighteenth  century,  owned  at  the  time  by  Job  Greene, 
who  was  then  possessor  of  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
territory  within  the  present  limits  of  the  village,  as  well 
as  of  many  contiguous  acres.  Major  Job  Greene,  in 
1726,  saw  fit  to  transfer  a  portion  of  his  extensive  do- 
main, consisting  of  412  acres,  to  his  son,  Daniel.  This 
land  was  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  and  bounded 
"north  by  the  third  Wecochaconnet  farm  ;  east,  by  the 
land  of  Potter  and  Whitman ;  south,  by  the  highway  be- 
tween the  Wecochaconnet  and  Coweset  farms,  and  west, 
by  the  undivi-led  lands."  This  estate  Daniel  subse- 
quently gave  to  his  nephew,  Chiistophcr,  who  afterwards 
sold  it  to  a  man  by  the  name  of  William  Almy,  of  Prov- 
idence. A  lmy's  heirs,  twenty  years  ago,  sold  a  part  of  it  to 
Rev.  J.  Bray  ton,  who  afterwards  disposed  of  it  to  various 
persons,  reserving  a  portion  of  it  which  still  remains  in 
his  possession  and  upon  which  he  at  present  resides. 
The  farms  of  Rufus  Barton,  Jeremiah  Foster,  the  water- 
powerand  mill  siteof  Benedict  Lapham,  the  water-power, 
mill-site  and  village  of  Arctic  were  included  originally 
in  this  estate. 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS.  181 


Major  Job  Greene  at  the  same  time  (1726)  gave  his 
son  Philip  a  tract  of  land,  lying  on  the  north-west  of 
the  south  branch  of  the  Pawtuxet,  containing  278  acres, 
together  with  his  house  and  saw-mill.  In  his  will,  dated 
1714,  he  bequeathed  to  him  his  "  mansion  house  at  Occu- 
pasnetuxet,"  where  the  Deputy-Governor,  John  Greene, 
lies  buried,  "  also  his  land  in  the  forks  of  the  Pawtuxet, 
all  his  lands  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  in  Warwick 
and  Coventry  ;  also  his  cattle,  swamp  lands,  agiicultural 
tools,  silver  tankard,  two  silver  cups,  negro  man,  Primus, 
and  negro  woman  and  her  children."  To  his  other  chil- 
dren "  he  distributed  his  Natick  lands,  farms  in  Tunkhill, 
Scituate,  and  bills  of  credit  and  money."  Major  Job 
Greene  died  at  his  home  in  Old  Warwick. 

Philip  Greene,  son  of  Job,  resided  chiefly  at  Old  War- 
wick, and  was  a  judge  in  the  court  of  common  pleas,  of 
Kent  county,  from  1759  to  1784.  In  1751,  he  gave  his 
son,  Christopher,  a  tract  of  land,  bounded  north,  on 
Peter  Levally's  land  ;  east,  by  the  Pawtuxet ;  south  on 
the  main  road,  and  west,  on  land  of  the  Mattesons." 
The  Judge's  land  extended  from  the  junction  of  the  two 
branches  of  the  Pawtuxet  river  to  some  distance  into 
the  town  of  Coventry.  He  died  April  10,  1791,  at  the 
age  of  86.  ' 

The  village  of  Centreville  at  the  breaking  out  of  the 
revolutionary  war  consisted  of  three  houses.  One  of 
these  was  situated  on  the  site  of  the  present  residence  of 
Rev.  J.  Brayton,  and  was  the  dwelling  place  of  Daniel 
Greene,  son  of  Job  It  was  a  long,  low,  one  story  build- 
ing, having  submitted  to  various  additions,  as  the  wants 
of  the  occupants  increased,  at  one  time  divided  into  two 
sections  and  a  piece  put  into  the  middle,  and  stood  until 
about  ten  years  ago,  when  it  was  entirely  consumed  by 
fire.  Daniel  Greene  was  born  Feb.  20,  1698-9,  and  died 
Nov.  24,  1798.  His  nephew,  Col.  Christopher  Greene, 
who  afterwards  became  noted  in  the  revolutionary  war, 
lived  in  the  house  that  formerly  stood  north  of  the 
bridge  and  east  of  the  house  now  owned  and  occupied 
by  Mr.  John  Greene.     The   third  ancient   house  stood 

16 


182  HISTORY   OF    WARWICK. 

on  the  south-east  corner  of  the  lot  on  which  the  resi- 
dence of  Dr.  Moses  Fifield  is  situated.  The  precise  spot 
was  pointed  out  to  me  recently  by  the  venerable  Josiah 
Merrill,  who  distinctly  remembers  it.  It  was  situated 
upon  the  path  leading  from  the  gate- way  near  the  Doctor's 
barn,  and  about  a  couple  o±  rods  from  the  fence.  The 
old  well  belonging  to  the  house  is  situate::  just  back  of 
the  Methodist  meeting-house.  This  well,  which  had 
been  covered  over  for  many  years,  was  re-opened  a  few 
years  ago  and  used  until  last  summer,  when  an  examin- 
ation of  it  being  made  with  reference  to  cleaning  it  out, 
it  was  found  to  be  caved  in  at*  the  bottom.  The  house 
had  undergone  many  additions  and  changes  in  the  course 
of  time.  It  was  built  upon  the  large  farm  of  William 
Greene,  son  ot  Peter,  the  great-grandson  of  John  Greene, 
senior.  It  afterwards  came  into  the  possession  of  James 
Greene,  son  of  James  and  grandson  of  William,  whose 
son,  Joseph  Warren  Greene,  gave  to  the  Methodist 
church  the  lot  upon  which  the  meeting-house  stands. 
Among  other  valuable  gifts  received  by  James  Greene 
from  his  father,  William,  was  a  large  tract  of  land,  a 
portion  of  which  was  No.  5.  of  the  Coweset  farms  and 
which  was  assigned  to  Gov.  John  Greene,  in  1685. 
This  farm  embraced  both  sides  of  the  river  and  extended 
from  the  site  of  Crompton  mills  on  the  south  to  Matte- 
son's  pond  on  the  west,  and  Judge  Philip  Greene's  land 
on  the  north.  James  also  inherited  hio  father's  property 
in  Old  Warwick  and  resided  there  at  the  breaking  out 
of  the  revolution.  Duiing  that  struggle  the  Greene 
mansion  was  seized  hy  the  British,  and  Greene  was 
forced  to  leave,  and  come  to  his  house  in  Centreville, 
though  at  the  time  it  was  not  known  by  that  name. 
Subsequently  James  Greene  built  the  house  acioss  the 
river  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Charles  Duke,  and  the  old 
house  was  deserted.  It  was  last  occupied  by  a  respect- 
able colored  woman,  a  devoted  member  of  the  Methodist 
church,  and  who  went  by  the  name  of  black  Lucy.  Her 
full  name  was  Lucy  Gardiner.  Her  father  and  mother 
were  the  slaves  of  Francis  Brayton,  of  Washington  vil- 


THE  OLD  GREENE  CEMETERY.         183 


lage,  then  called  Brayton  town,  and  were  usually  called 
"Cuff"  and  "Molly"  Brayton.  Molly  at  one  time 
called  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Clapp,  father  of  Mr.  Water- 
man Clapp,  and  in  the  course  of  her  conversation  asked 
Mr.  Clapp  how  many  hasty  puddings  he  supposed  she 
had  made  for  her  master,  Mr.  Brayton,  the  past  year. 
Mr.  Clapp  guessed  twentv.  "No."'  Fifty?  "No."  "Well 
a  hundred,"  said  Mr.  Clapp.  "  No  "  said  Molly.  "Well" 
said  Mr.  C.  "  I  cant  guess,  how  many  have  you  ?"  "  Three 
hundred  and  sixty-five! ' '  said  Molly.  Lucy  had  two 
daughters,  Olive  and  Phebe,  who  now  reside  in  Provi- 
dence. She  had  one  imbecile  daughter,  but  whether  it 
is  one  of  the  two  above-mentioned  I  am  not  able  to  say. 
Lucy  was  an  industrious  woman,  and  was  accustomed 
to  take  her  daughter  with  her  while  she  went  out  to 
wash  and  iron  for  the  neighbors.  While  the  mother 
was  at  work,  the  daughter  would  lie  quietly  curled  up 
upon  the  floor  under  the  table,  until  the  mother  had  fin- 
ished her  work,  when  she  would  follow  her  home. 

The  old  Greene  Cemetery,  on  the  east  bank  of  the 
Pawcatuck  river,  and  opposite  the  Methodist  church  in 
this  village,  is  now  in  process  of  renovation,  and  when 
the  improvements  are  completed  will  bear  but  little 
resemblance  to  its  former  ancient  appearance.  The 
ground  has  been  used  for  these  purposes  for  at  least 
three-fourths  of  a  century,  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  in 
this  vicinity. 

For  some  years  previous  to  the  year  1837,  or 
thereabouts,  the  ground  was  surrounded  by  a  slat  fence. 
This  was  removed  and  a  stone  wall,  faced  and  plastered, 
was  erected — the  cemetery  being  enlarged  by  the 
addition  of  several  rods  of  land  on  the  east  and  south 
portions  of  the  ground.  Willow  trees  were  set  in  the 
corners,  two  of  which  were  blown  down  in  the  last 
great  September  gale,  and  several  honey  locusts  and 
catalpas  found  their  way  into  the  enclosure.  The  walls 
have  been  removed,  with  the  exception  of  that  on  the 
east  side,  which  will  doubtless  follow,  and  the  two 
remaining   willows,  and  the    locusts  and  catalpas,  are  to 


184  HISTOBY   OP   WARWICK. 


give  way  to  others  of  a  more  ornamental  character.  It 
is  proposed  to  place  a  Norway  spruce  in  each  corner, 
with  some  rock  maples  along  the  lines.  The  removal  of 
the  middle  or  east  wall  will  unite  the  ground  with  that 
laid  out  by  the  late  John  Allen  for  similar  purposes, 
which  is  now  surrounded  on  three  sides  by  a  slat  fence. 
It  is  expected,  though  arrangements  are  not  fully 
consummated,  that  this  fence  will  be  removed  also,  and 
a  substantial  one  of  heavy  granite  posts,  with  iron  rods, 
will  extend  around  the  united  grounds. 

Probably  the  first  interments  in  the  enclosure  were 
those  of  James  Greene  and  his  wiie,  in  the  western 
portion  of  the  ground.  A  large  black  oak  tree  now 
stands  between  their  graves,  having,  doubtless,  been 
self-planted  since  the  graves  were  made.  The  roots  of 
the  tree  have  probably  found  their  way  to  these  as  well 
as  to  other  graves  in  the  vicinity,  and  it  would  seem  as 
though  the  old  tree  should  be  allowed  to  stand  for  their 
sakes.  It  is  a  healthy  tree,  and  even  ornamental,  which 
also  pleads  in  its  favor.  James  Greene  died  May  30, 
1792,  in  his  79th  year,  but  no  stones  mark  his  resting- 
place,  or  that  of  his  wife  He  was  the  son  of  William,* 
whose  great  grandfather  was  John  Greene,  one  of  the 
original  purchasers  of  Warwick  from  Miantonomi,  a 
Narragansett  Sachem.  He  married  Desire  Slocum,  a 
daughter  of  Giles  Slocum.  of  East  Greenwich,  June  15, 
17-^8,  by  whom  he  had  nine  children,  viz.:  William,  who 
died  in  infancy,  Mary,  Sarah,  Giles,  Elizabeth;  Desire, 
who  married  Spencer  Meriill,  (Mr.  Merrill,  his  wife  and 
sister,  lie  in  unmarked  graves);  Almy,  who  married 
Jabez  Comstock,  of  Chatham,  Conn., — whose  daughter, 
Lucina,  married  Dr.  Sylvester  Knight,  a  practicing 
physician  for  many  years  in  this  village.  Dr.  Knight 
w^,s  born  in  Cranston,  in  1787.  He  came  to  Centreville 
about  the  year  1806,  and  w;.s  married  in  1808.  He  lived 
here    about    thirty  years,   practicing    medicine,  and   a 


*  William  Greene  and  Sarah  (Medhnry)  Greene  livfd  on  the  east 
side  of  the  road  to  Coniniicut  Point,  the  corner  lot  opposite  the  old 
Stafford  house. 


THE  OLD  GREENE  CEMETERY.  185 

portion  of  the  time  was  a  partner  with  the  late  Dr. 
Stephen  Harris,  in  cotton  manufacturing  at  River  Point. 
He  finally  gave  up  his  proiession  and  removed  to 
Providence,  and  lived  in  the  house  next  north  of  the 
Custom  House  He  had  an  extensive  practice,  and*  was 
generally  regarded  as  a  judicious  and  skillful  physician. 
He  died  in  Providence,  March  15,  1841,  aged  54.  His 
first  wife,  Lucina  (Comstock)  Greene,  died  December 
22,  1819,  aged  32.  There  were  four  children  by  this 
marriage,  two  of  whom,  Ex-Mayor  Jabez  Comstock 
Knight,  of  Providence,  and  Nehemiah  Knight,  of 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  are  now  living.  His  second  wife, 
Louisa  V.,  died  January  3,  1873,  aged  71,  by  whom  he 
had  six  children,  of  whom  two,  Sylvester  R.  and  Wm. 
A.  Knight,  of  Providence,  are  living.  The  doctor 
and  the  deceased  members  ot  his  family  lie  in  the 
enclosure. 

The  eighth  child  of  James  Greene  was  James,  after- 
wards known  as  Captain  James  Greene,  he  having  held 
that  military  title  in  a  company  that  was  engaged  in 
September,  1778,  in  the  expedition  on  Rhode  Island 
against  the  English  forces  then  and  there  encamped. 
The  ninth  was  riachel,  who  married  Thomas  VVhitaker, 
of  Haverhill,  N.  H.  Gen.  Josiah  Whitaker  and  Thomas 
Whitaker,  boih  formerly  of  Providence,  were  their 
children. 

On  the  death  of  James  Greene,  his  only  surviving 
son,  Capt.  James,  inherited  the  family  residence  in 
Centreville  that  stood  near  the  Methodist  church,  and 
which  was  one  of  the  three  earliest  houses  built  in  the 
village.  Ample  provision  was  made  for  the  surviving 
widow  and  the  three  lame  and  decrepid  daughters,  and 
also  for  the  three  negro  servants.  One  of  these  slaves 
was  a  woman  named  Clara,  and  was  given  to  Mrs. 
Greene  by  her  father,  Giles  Slocum  at  the  time  of  her 
marriage.  In  her  old  age  Clara  became  peevish  and 
partially  insane,  and  was  boarded  out  in  the  family  of 
an  old  and  witty  negro  named  Boston,  until  she  died. 
She  was  buried  just  outside  of  the  family  cemetery,  but 
when  the   wall  that  has  just  been  demolished  was  built, 


186  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

the  groimd  was  so  much  enlarged  that  the  wall  passed 
directly  over  this  grave,  lengthwise.  The  removal  of 
the  wall  revealed  the  spot  where  she  was  buried.  It  is 
on  the  south  line  about  thiity  leet  from  the  southwest 
corner. 

Capt.  James  Greene,  who  probably  owned  the  land  at 
the  time  it  was  selected  as  a  burial  place,  was  married  to 
Rebecca,  a  daughter  of  Sanders  Pitman,  Nov.  17,  1782, 
by  Rev.  Joseph  Snow,  then  pastor  of  the  Congregational 
church,  Providence.  She  died  July  7,  1806,  aged  44. 
His  second  wife  was  Marcy,  daughter  of  Capt.  Wm. 
Waterman,  of  Warwick.  She  died  February  28,  1851, 
in  the  71st  year  of  her  age.  The  captain  died  October 
14,  1825,  also  in  the  71st  year  of  his  age.  He  was  a  tall 
muscular  man,  and  in  the  latter  years  walked  in  a 
stooping  posture.  Owing  to  the  rapid  decomposition  of 
his  body  after  his  death,  he  was  buried  at  night  and  the 
funeral  services  were  held  the  following  day.  He  lies  in 
the  western  portion  of  the  grounds  with  a  wife  on  each 
side.  Their  children  were  ten  in  number,  of  whom  two 
died  in  infancy.  William,  the  oldest,  was  born  October 
17,  1783,  and  died  in  Philadelphia  in  1838.  James,  the 
youngest  son,  died  in  Providence,  July  27,  1840.  He 
married  Marcy  A.  Westcott,  who  died  February  27, 
1870.  Both  lie  in  the  southwest  corner  of  the  ground. 
The  only  surviving  son  of  Capt.  Greene  is  Joseph  War- 
ren Greene,  who  resides  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  but  who 
still  remains  in  possession  of  the  paternal  homestead, 
across  the  river.  Capt.  Greene  had  also  several 
daughters  who  arrived  at  womanhood,  viz.:  Mary  K., 
who  was  born  October  31,  1785,  and  married  Wm. 
Anthony,  who  was  born  in  North  Providence,  October 
25,  1775,  and  died  in  Coventry',  May  17  1845.  (Mrs. 
Anthony  died  March  25,  1851,  leaving  three  children, 
viz.:  the  late  Gen.  James  G.  Anthony,  of  Anthony 
vilhige.  Senator  Henry  B.  Anthony,  of  Providence,  and 
Eliza  H.,  wife  of  Francis  E.  Hoppin,  ot  Providence. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anthony  and  four  children  are  buried 
here.)     Almy,  who  married   Resolved   Slack,    and    who 


THE   OLD   GREENE   CEMETERY.  1ST 

died  in  Brooklyn,  New  York  ;  Eliza,  who  married  the 
late  Dr.  Stephen  Harris,  a  resident  in  this  village  for 
some  years,  and  subsequently  a  successful  cotton 
manufacturer  at  River  Point.  The  doctor  died  October 
10,  1858,  aged  72  years.  His  wife  died  March  23,  1820. 
Cyrus,  Stephen,  and  Caleb  F.  Harris  are  the  surviving 
children,  several  having  died.  A  few  years  ago,  the 
remains  of  Dr.  Harris  and  his  wife,  with  the  deceased 
children,  were  removed  to  Swan  Point  cemetery. 
Abigail  Susan,  the  fourth  daughter  of  Capt.  Greene, 
marr.ed  the  late  John  Greene,  of  this  village.  She  died 
May  6,  1814,  in  the  nineteenth  year  of  her  age,  leaving 
one  child,  who  married  the  late  Daniel  Howland,  of  East 
Greenwich.  Sarah  Ann  married  Stephen  Arnold,  of 
Providence.  They  buried  lour  young  children  in  these 
grounds,  the  earliest  in  1825. 

The  family  of  Stephen  Greene,  a  remote  branch  of 
the  other  Greenes,  also  found  here  a  resting  place.  One 
daughter,  Freelove,  fell  into  the  wheel  pit  of  the  mill 
and  was  di  owned,  March  25,  1839,  aged  47.  The 
accident  was  preceded  by  two  others  in  the  village,  and 
separated  by  only  a  few  days.  The  widow  of  Major 
Bunn,  a  Hessian  soldier,  who  remained  and  settled  here 
after  the  Revolutionary  war,  fell  into  the  fire  and  was 
burned  to  death,  and  Christopher  Bowman,  an  operative 
in  the  woolen  mill,  got  caught  by  the  shafting  and  was 
instantly  killed.  A  portion  of  the  Stephen  Greene 
family  are  settled  about  Black  Rock,  in  Coventry. 

A  few  scores  of  persons  have  here  been  gathered  to 
their  rest  to  await  the  sound  of  that  voice  which  shall 
eventually  call  them  forth  to  renewed  life.  Many  of 
them  were  active  in  their  time,  as  are  their  descendants 
in  whom  they  now  live. 

k'  Their  names,  their  years,  spelt  by  the  unlettered  muse. 
The  place  of  fame  and  elegy  supply  : 
And  many  a  holy  text  around  sdie  strews 
That  teach  the  rustic  moralist  to  die." 

In  1785  the  number  of  houses  had  increased  to  eight. 
The  others  were  John  Henry  Bunn's  house,  a  small  red 


188 


HISTORY  OF   WARWICK. 


building,  one  story,  that  stood  between  the  Centreville 
bank  and  the  bridge.  It  was  built  by  Samuel  Pitman 
for  the  goldsmith  business.  Jonathan  Tifftny,  father  of 
Mr.  Henry  Tiffany,  of  Crompton,  married  Mr.  Pitman's 
half-sister.  Bunn  was  a  shoemaker  and  died  many  years 
ago.  His  widow,  an  old  feeble  woman,  while  her 
daughter  was  absent,  fell  into  the  fire  and  was  half 
consumed  before  her  daughter  returned.  This  event 
occurred  in  1839.  There  was  a  house  called  the  "  Board- 
ing house"  and  another  occupied  by  Spencer  Merrill.  -Col. 
Christopher  Greene's  residence  became  the  home  of  his 
son,  Job,  and  was  finally  rented  to  Thomas  Whaley.  It 
occupied  the  same  site  upon  which  William  Levally 
subsequently  built.  Westward,  across  the  road,  Job 
Greene  built  a  house  in  1785,  in  which  he  dwelt  many 
years.  Job  Greene  was  the  father  of  the  Hon.  Simon 
Henry  Greene. 

Col.  Greene  had  a  negro  servant  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  named  Boston  Carpenter,  who  was  one  of 
the  wonders  of  those  times.  By  diligence  and  economy 
he  accumulated  some  property  in  Coventry,  at  the  foot 
of  a  ridge  called,  after  him,  "  Boston  Hill."  He 
purchased  his  wife  of  Job  Greene,  "  for  4s.  6d.,  as  a 
matter  of  form,  to  prevent  her  becoming  chargeable  to 
the  estate  of  Job  Greene,  in  case  she  should  be  reduced 
to    poverty."  *     Joseph  W.  Greene,  Esq.,  of  Brooklyn, 


*  Negro  slavery  existed  in  all  the  towns  of  Rhode  Island  at  the  time 
of  the  Kevolutionary  war,  and  more  or  less  of  tliein  were  to  be  found 
in  them  uu  il  within  the  last  fifty  years.  All  children  or'  slaves  boru  in 
Rhode  Island  after  March  1,  17*4,  were,  by  law,  declared  free.  During 
the  Kevolutionary  war  all  who  chose  to  enlist  in  the  army  v\eie 
granted  their  freedom.  In  the  year  1780  there  were  forty  one  slaves 
in  this  town.  From  the  census  reports,  we  have  the  following  as  the 
number  of  slaves  in  the  State  :  in  1790,  952  ;  in  18i>0,  3*1  ;  in  1810,  108: 
in  1820,  48;  in  1830,  17.  The  last  one  died  as  late  as  January  3,  18i9, 
when  James  Howland  ended  this  lile  at  the  residein-e  of  John 
Howland.  of  Jamestown,  at  c.he  advanced  agi-  of  one  hundred  years. 
"Be  had  always  been  a  faithful  servant  in  the  Howland  family  Up 
to  the  hour  of  his  death  he  ret-tined  all  his  faculties  unimpaired,  and 
on  the  night  of  January  2d,  attended  to  his  usual  duties  about  the 
house.  On  the  morning  of  the  3d,  he  arose  and  dressed  himself,  and 
was  about  to  descend  the  stairs  from  his  chamber  when  he  fainted  and 
expired  in  a  few  moments.  He  was  the  last  of  the  Rhode  Island 
slaves." 


FIRST   ATTEMPTS   AT   MANUFACTURING.  189 


gives  the  following  account  of  him.  "This  Boston 
Carpenter  was  quite  a  notable  person.  He  lived  about 
half  a  mile  north  of  Anthony  village.  He  had  been  a 
slave  and  bought  his  freedom.  Then  he  bought  a  slave 
named  Lillis,  who  was  familiarly  known  by  the  name  of 
Lill.  They  lived  together  as  man  and  wife,  though  it 
was  said  they  were  never  married.  He  used  to  say  to 
her  that  if  she  did  not  behave  well,  he  would  put  her  in 
his  pocket  (or,  in  other  words,  he  would  sell  her).  He 
was  a  shrewd,  intelligent  fellow,  with  a  good  deal  of 
ready  wit.  He  had  been  badly  afflicted  with  the 
rheumatism  and  was  almost  bent  double.  A  man  once 
met  him  on  the  road  and  asked  him  if  he  came  straight 
from  home?  Boston  replied,  •  Yes,  Sir.'  '  Then,'  the 
man  reiterated,  '  you  have  got  most  horridly  warped  on 
the  way.'  Boston  walked  off  without  being  able  to 
make  any  reply.  He  spent  much  of  his  time  in  tending 
the  grist  mill  of  Col.  Job  Greene  at  Centre ville.  Boston 
was  a  famous  breaker  of  horses,  an  active  mechanic  and 
a  quick,  sharp  man.  Mr.  Waterman  Clapp,  a  venerable 
octogenarian,  told  me  recently,  that  he  distinctly  re-' 
membered  Boston,  and  mentioned  several  anecdotes  of 
him  that  want  of  space  alone  compels  me  to  refrain  from 
mentioning. 

The  first  attempt  at  manufacturing  cotton  by  machin- 
ery in  this  village,  seems  to  have  been  made  about  the 
year  1794  when  land  and  water-power  were  transferred 
to  a  company  formed  for  that  purpose  by  Col.  Job  Greene, 
by  a  deed  bearing  date  Oct.  3,  of  that  year.  Greene 
gave  the  land  and  water  power,  "  stipulating  that  the 
building  should  be  40  feet  long  by  26  feet  wide  and  two 
stories  high,  with  sufficient  machinery  for  running  a  hun- 
dred spindles."  The  following  persons  formed  the  com- 
pany :  William  Potter  of  Providence,  one-third  ;  John 
Allen,  one-sixth ;  James  McKerris,  one-sixth ;  James 
Greene,  one-ninth  ;  Job  Greene,  one-eighteenth  ;  the  re- 
maining one-sixth  to  be  owned  by  the  several  proprietors, 
according  to  this  ratio.  The  water  was  to  be  conveyed 
to    the   wheel   by   a    wooden    conductor,  the  interior  of 


190  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


which  was  to  be  two  feet  square,  and  which  was  to  be 
placed  at  the  bottom  of  the  mill  dam  ;  Greene  agreeing 
not  to  draw  the  water  down  for  his  grist  mill  so  low  that 
it  would  be  less  than  six  inches  higher  than  the  upper 
plank  of  the  conductor.  He  also  agreed  to  keep  the 
dam  in  good  condition  for  six  years ;  after  this  the  com- 
pany was  to  bear  one-third  the  expenses  of  repairs." 
The  machinery  was  built  under  the  direction  of  Moses 
Irwin,  who  was  afterwards  engaged  to  oversee  its  opera- 
tion. The  operation  did  not  succeed  very  well,  though 
the  yarn  manufactured  was  salable.  There  soon  ap- 
peared a  desire,  on  the  part  of  some  members  of  the 
company,  to  allow  others  to  continue  the  experiment,  and 
in  May,  1797,  McKerris  sold  one-tenth  to  John  Reynolds, 
for  $600  ;  in  June,  he  sold  one-twelfth  to  Gideon  Bailey, 
of  East  Greenwich,  for  $170.  John  Reynolds,  in 
November,  1798,  sold  his  share  to  the  company  for  $600. 
In  1799,  the  company  sold  one-half  of  the  whole  con- 
cern to  William  Almy  and  Obadiah  Brown,  for  $2500. 
The  items  of  the  transfer  are  as  follows :  one  undivided 
'half  part  of  a  lot  of  land  and  mill ;  four  spinning  machines 
each  60  spindles  ;  2  carding  machines,  with  drawing  and 
roving  frames ;  half  of  dye-house ;  half  of  single  house 
on  Job  Greene's  Jand;  half  of  water  power,  &c,  &c. 

The  new  company  met  with  better  success.  The  de- 
mand for  their  yarn  was  greater  than  they  could  supply. 
Knitting  cotton  and  yarn  for  warps,  were  the  kinds 
manufactured.  So  great  was  the  demand  that  the  com- 
pany proposed  to  extend  their  works,  and  introduce 
more  machinery.  Four  years  previous  to  the  starting  of 
this  mill,  Samuel  Slater  had  commenced  a  similar  exper- 
iment at  Pawtucket,  with  only  72  spindles.  Almy  and 
Brown  were  now  part  owners  in  both  establishments. 
John  Allen  went  out  to  Pawtucket  to  observe  how 
things  went  and  get  some  needful  hints,  that  might  be 
useful  here.  It  is  said  that  when  he  attempted  to 
measure  some  of  the  machines,  Slater  ordered  him  to 
desist  and  threatened  to  throw  him  out  of  the  window. 
But   Mr.  Allen,   perhaps  hardly  believing  that  such  an 


SECOND    MILL   ERECTED.  191 

event  would  occur,  and  thinking  he  had  some  authority 
for  proceeding,  on  account  of  the  relation  s  of  Almy  and 
Brown  to  the  concern,  quietly  proceeded  in  his  work, 
when  Slater  at  last  laid  violent  hands  upon  him.  Oba- 
diah  Brown,  who  was  near,  laid  his  hand  gently  upon  Mr. 
Allen's  shoulder,  saying  in  his  cool,  quiet  way,  "  I  will 
finish  thy  work  and  I  will  see  if  Samuel  will  serve  me  as 
he  did  thee."  Whether  Mr.  Allen  scratched  his  elbow 
as  was  his  custom  when  perplexed,  when  he  was  so  sud- 
denly arrested,  does  not  appear,  but  he  saw  Mr.  Brown 
accomplish  his  work  without  interference,  and  returned 
home  with  his  mission  accomplished. 

On  July  10,  1801,  Almy  &  Brown  purchased  of  Job 
Greene  all  his  rights  in  the  spinning  mill.  In  1805, 
they  made  the  further  purchase,  of  the  same  person,  of 
16  acres  of  land,  grist  and  saw  mills,  water-power,  dwell- 
ing house  which  he  built  in  1785,  all  for  $5,000. 

In  1807,  a  second  mill  was  erected  on  the  east  side  of 
the  river,  by  a  new  company,  that  styled  itself  the  War- 
wick Manufacturing  Company."  The  company  was 
composed  of  Almy  &  Brown,  James  Gieene,  John  Allen 
and  Gideon  Greene.  James  Greene  held  one-eighth  of 
the  stock  ;  John  Allen,  one-eighth;  John  Greene,  one- 
twelfth  ;  Gideon  Greene,  one  sixteenth  and  Almy  & 
Brown  the  remainder.  John  Allen  superintended  the 
erection  of  the  mill,  as  he  had  done  the  one  across  the 
river.  He  also  afterwards  acted  as  the  agent  of  the 
company  and  was  followed  by  John  Greene.  The  mill 
was  painted  green,  and  was  known  as  the  green 
mill.  The  building  that  recently  s^ood  opposite  Mr. 
Lapham's  office,  and  used  as  a  boarding  house,  was 
originally  used  as  a  store,  and  in  the  basement  of  it  hand 
looms  were  introduced,  and  the  yarn  was  woven  into 
cloth,  in  the  same  way  as  in  many  of  the  houses  in  the 
surrounding  country  up  to  the  time  of  the  introduction  of 
power  machinery,  when  the  hind  loom  not  being  able 
longer  to  compete  with  the  new  motor,  gave  way.  The 
company  grass-bleached  the  cloth  that  was  made  by  the 
hand  loom,  and  finished  it  by  running  it  through  a  cal- 


192  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


ender  that  stood  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream. 
The  land  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  from- the  Bap- 
tist parsonage  and  lot  adjoining,  now  covered  with  wood 
and  underbrush,  was  the  Bleach-green,  and  upon  its 
grassy  surface  the  cloth  was  spread  and  occasionally  wet 
until  the  desired  whiteness  was  secured. 

The  old  grist  mill  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  was 
superceded  by  a  cotton  mill,  built  by  Almy  &  Brown. 
It  had  been  used  lor  various  purposes.  In  the  basement 
was  a  machine  shop  with  a -trip  hammer,  where  the 
noisy  operations  mingled  with  the  racket  of  the  saw  * 
and  grist  mill,  in  the  second  story.  In  the  story  above, 
the  miller's  family  lived,  and  in  the  attic,  was  a  wool- 
carding  machine.  When  all  were  in  motion  the  miller's 
family  must  have  had  a  noisy  place.  This  continued 
until  about  1812,  when  the  breaking  out  of  the  war 
made  a  great  demand  for  cotton  goods. 

In  1816,  Capt.  Wm.  Potter,  one  of  the  original 
proprietors,  sold  his  fourth  part  of  the  "  Warwick  Spin- 
ning Mill,"  to  Almy  &  Brown.  The  war  had  ceased 
and  business  became  dull,  and  Capt.  Potter,  who  had 
been  very  successful  in  manufacturing,  in  several  places 
besides  Centreville,  went  down  financially  in  tlie  general 
crisis  of  1815  and  1816.  Of  these  men  that  were  so 
conspicuous  in  the  early  manufacturing  interests  of  this 
village,  Capt.  Potter  died,  Nov.  19,  1838,  aged  88; 
James  Greene,  died  in  1825  ;  Obadiah  Brown,  Oct.  15, 
1812,  in  the  52d  year  of  his  age;  William  Almy,  died 
Feb.  5,  1836,  aged  75.  At  his  death,  Obadiah  Brown 
gave  $100,000  to  the  Quaker  school  in  Providence. 
John  Allen  died,  July  25,  1845,  in  the  78th  year  of  his 
age,  "  He  was  a  native  of  Smithfield,  a  wheel-wright 
by  trade,  and  came  to   Centreville  in   1794.     His  mind 

*  In  1828  or  '2ft,  Elder  Jonathan  Wilson,  at  that  time,  pastor  of  the 
Baptist  church,  eked  out  his  small  salary  by  tending  the  saw-mill, 
and  one  day  while  at  liis  work  hud  the  misfortune  to  break  one  of  his 
legs  He  lived  in  the  house  opposite  Charles  L).  Keuyon's  residence. 
This  house  afterwards  belonged  to  Mr.  Nicholas  K.  Gardner,  now  of 
Crumpton,  who  set  out  the  elm  tree  in  front  of  the  house,  that  now 
spreads  its  limbs  so  majestically  over  the  street. 


CENTKEVTLLE.  193 


was  like  a  border  country,  where  hostile  races  alternately 
dominate.  He  was  regarded  at  one  time  as  selfish, 
bigoted  and  despotic  ;  at  others  as  liberal,  conciliatory 
and  yielding.  He  did  good,  on  principal.  He  assisted, 
only  those  who  at  first  assisted  themselves.  Hence 
he  spent  $2300  in  erecting  the  Baptist  meeting  house  at 
Crompton,  but  he  first  required  the  congregation  to  pay 
for  the  basement  and  fit  it  up  into  a  vestry.  He  in- 
vented a  clock  to  number  the  revolutions  of  the  wheels 
of  his  carriage  which  he  sometimes  hired  out  to  young 
men ;  as  their  mode  of  thinking  was  opposite  to  his  own, 
he  had  not  confidence  in  their  veracity,  and  refused  to 
take  pay  for  the  number  of  miles  they  had  gone  unless 
their  story  corresponded  with  that  great  regulator  which 
was  moved  by  every  turn  of  the  wheels.  To  be  gouged 
out  of  a  few  dollars,  by  a  set  of  unregenerate  scamps,  was 
an  intolerable  burden,  yet  he  cheerfully  advanced  $1800 
to  the  Tin  Top  Church,  when  it  was  in  straitened  cir- 
cumstances. He  was  born  poor  but  died  rich.  He 
awakened  a  bitter  opposition,  and  was  less  valued  than 
he  ought  to  have  been.  Like  a  brook,  on  a  cold,  frosty 
morning  in  spring,  the  surface  of  which  is  covered  with 
a  thin  coating  of  ice,  while  unseen  the  waters  are  flowing 
onward  upon  their  journey  of  use  and  beauty  :  so  the  sur- 
face of  his  character  was  icy  and  cold,  but  underneath  that 
repulsive  exterior  gurgled  warm  and  blessed  currents.'' 
As  Mr,  Allen  is  referred  to  in  connection  with  the 
sketch  of  the  church,  of  which  both  he  and  his  wife  were 
consistent  members,  little  further  need  be  added  to  the 
above  from  Mr.  Rousmaniere.  The  roughness  referred 
to,  was  rather  seeming  than  real.  Among  those  that 
knew  him  best  he  was  regarded  as  a  man  of  the  strictest 
business  integrity.  Of  quiet,  unassuming  manners,  and 
deeply  interested  in  the  true  prosperity  of  the  village. 
Sincerely  honest  and  candid  himself,  he  was  sometimes 
led  to  rebuke  in  a  plain,  blunt  way,  any  appearance  of 
pride  or  show  in  others.  An  anecdote,  to  the  point,  was 
related  to  me  some  years  ago,  by  Mr.  Henry  Hamilton, 
who  knew  him  intimately  for  many  years.     At  one  time, 

17 


194  HISTORY   OF  WARWICK. 


a  young  man,  I  think,  a  distant  relative,  was  invited  to 
preach  in  the  church  of  which  he  was  a  member.  The 
young  man  intended  to  make  a  good  impression  upon 
Mr.  Allen  and  evidently  felt  a  little  elated  by  his  position 
in  the  pulpit.  On  coming  out  of  the  pulpit  he  was 
curious  to  know  what  the  impression  had  been,  but  Mr. 
Allen  was  reticent.  He  felt  confident  he  had  preached 
well,  but  was  anxious  for  Mr.  Allen  to  say  so.  Still  no 
word  from  his  relative.  At  last  his  curiosity  got  the  bet- 
ter of  him,  and  he  ventured  to  ask  him  what  he  thought 
of  the  sermon.  Mr.  Allen,  with  a  twinkling  in  his  eye 
and  the  usual  scratching  of  his  elbow  replied  "John,  I 
was  actually  ashamed  of  you." 

The  boys  would  sometimes  trouble  him,  by  removing 
things  from  his  premises  or  otherwise  interfering  with 
him.  The  cannon  that  now  does  annual  patriotic  service 
on  the  morning  of  Fourth  of  July,  on  tl  Bunker  Hill," 
was  originally  owned  by  a  military  company  in  the 
vicinity,  and  was  usually  stowed  away,  when  not  in  use, 
in  some  portion  of  Mr.  Allen's  premises.  The  boys 
would  sometimes  steal  this  away,  and  the  first  intimation 
of  the  roguery  would  be  its  discharge  in  some  part  of  the 
village.  The  boys  would  then  hide  away,  and  the  gun 
would  be  restored  to  its  place,  to  await  a  similar  act  at 
some  future  time.  At  one  time  a  lad  while  playing,  ac- 
cidentally sent  his  ball  through  a  pane  of  glass  in  the 
window  over  the  front  door.  The  window  was  a  semi- 
oval,  and  formed  of  diamond-shaped  panes.  The  boy 
was  much  frightened,  but  soon  concluded  to  face  the 
music  at  once,  and  went  around  to  a  side  door  and  in- 
formed Mr.  Allen  what  he  had  done.  "  Oh,  dear !  boy  ! 
how  did  you  do  that  ?  "  said  Mr.  Allen.  The  boy  replied 
that  he  did'nt  mean  to,  but  was  playing  in  the  street, 
and  before  he  knew  it,  it  went  through  the  window. 
Mr.  Allen  looked  at  him,  and  then  said,  "  Oh,  dear ! 
boys  will  be  boys,"  and  that  ended  the  matter.  -That 
boy,  since  grown  to  manhood,  passes  through  the  village 
daily  to  and  from  his  place  of  business. 


DR.     CHARLES    JEWETT, 
(The  Temperance  Lecturer.) 


CENTREVILLE.  195 


Almy  &  Brown  owned  five-eighths  of  the  Warwick 
mills,  and  their  shares  were  purchased  by  John  Greene 
in  1836,  at  the  rate  of  $55,000  for  the  whole.  John 
Greene,  was  the  son  of  Gideon,  and  grand-son  of  John 
Greene,  who  was  one  of  the  six  brothers  who  established 
the  iron  works  at  Coventry.  One  of  these  latter  was 
Gen.  Nathaniel  Greene.  John  Greene  had  worked  as  a 
boy  for  Col.  Job  Greene,  and  by  his  prudence  and  in- 
dustry, was  enabled  at  last  to  purchase  an  interest  in 
the  mill  and  died  July  16,  1851,  one  of  the  richest  men 
in  the  vicinity.  His  last  wife,  who  survived  him  several 
years,  was  Mary  Arnold,  a  daughter  of  William,  son  of 
Caleb  Arnold,  of  Apponaug,  and  sister  of  Mr.  John  B. 
Arnold,  of  this  village. 

In  the  autumn  of  18-35,  Dr.  Charles  Jewett,  who  has 
since  achieved  so  much  distinction  as  a  temperance  lec- 
turer, accepted  the  invitation  of  several  of  the  leading 
citizens  of  the  village  to  settle  here  as  a  physician,  in 
the  place  of  Dr.  Knight,  who  had  decided  to  remove  to 
Providence.  The  Doctor  had  earned  already  an  excel- 
lent reputation  as  a  physician,'  in  East  Greenwich, 
where  he  had  located  in  1829,  and  came  here  under 
very  favorable  prospects.  But  during  the  year  1837, 
his  temperance  zeal,  and  the  success  that  had  already 
attended  his  efforts  as  a  lecturer,  led  him  to  forsake 
the  lancet  and  pill-box,  and  accept  an  agency  under 
the  R.  I.  Temperance  Society.  The  Doctor  has  been 
full  and  running  over  with  his  subject  ever  since,  and 
could  lecture  every  evening  for  a  month  without  being 
in  danger  of  repeating  himself.  His  addresses  are 
sound  and  practical,  appealing  to  the  reason  and  judg- 
ment of  his  audiences  and  spiced  with  a  sufficient 
amount  of  wit  and  humor  to  hold  the  attention  of  both 
old  and  young.  In  1872,  he  published  an  interesting 
volume  entitled  a  "Foity  Years'  Fight  with  the 
Drink  Demon,"  in  which  he  gives  a  graphic  account  of 
the  temperance  reform  and  his  labors  in  connection  with 
it  during  that  period.  He  lives  at  present  in  Norwich, 
Conn. 


196 


HISTORY  OF  "WARWICK. 


At  what  date  the  manufacture  of  woolen  cloth  com- 
menced I  have  not  been  able  to  learn.  Mr.  Win.  D. 
Davis  bought  the  woolen  machinery  in  January,  1850,  and 
the  tenements,  water-power  and  cotton  mills,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1851.  Previous  to  this  Allen  Waterhouse  had 
started  the  manufacture  of  several  kinds  of  cassimere. 
Two-thirds  of  the  mill  property,  including  both  sides  of 
the  river,  were  purchased  of  the  heirs  of  John  Greene 
and  others,  at  the  rate  of  41,000  for  the  whole  ;  the 
other  third,  belonging  to  the  heirs  of  James  Greene,  he 
bought  at  auction,  at  the  rate  of  $38,000.  Mr.  Davis 
sold  the  green  mill,  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  to 
Hon.  Benedict  Lapham,  who  commenced  operations  in 
1852.  Mr.  Davis  continued  to  run  the  woolen  mill  until 
1860,  when  he  sold  out  to  Gen.  James  Waterhouse,  who 
run  it  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  Lowell,  March 
25,  1872,  whither  he  had  gone  to  visit  his  wife,  who 
was  there  ill.  Gen.  Waterhouse  was  born  in  England, 
and  came  to  this  country  with  no  other  resources  than 
his  native  powers  of  mind,  which  were  above  the 
average,  and  a  perseverance  and  industry  that  never 
tired.  His  home  was  noted  for  the  bountiful  hospitality 
which  greeted  his  guests.  The  accumulation  of  wealth 
rendered  him  neither  proud  or  avaricious,  but  what  he 
was  in  the  earlier  days  of  struggle  and  hope,  he  con- 
tinued to  be  when  he  attained  a  position  which  made 
him  prominent  and  influential.  During  the  last  few 
years  of  his  life  he  became  involved  in  his  business,  and 
the  mill — a  new  one  which  he  had  built  a  few  years 
previous  to  his  death,  and  which  stands  on  the  site  of  the 
second  cotton  mill  built  in  this  country — was  sold  at 
public  auction  after  his  death.  The  old  mill  had  stood 
about  seventy-five  years. 

In  1873-4  Mr.  Lapham  built  his  substantial  and  well- 
arranged  stone-mill,  a  view  of  which,  with  some 
outward  arrangements  yet  to  be  made,  is  given  in  the 
engraving,  and  which  is  said  to  be  the  largest  mill  in  the 
State  owned  by  a  single  individual.  It  stands  just  in 
the  rear  of  the  site  of  the  old  green  mill,  and  is  304  feet 


CENTREVILLE. 


197 


lono-  by  72  feet  wide,  of  five  stories,  with  a  capacity  of 
30,000°  spindles.  Nearly  all  the  stone  necessary  for  the 
construction  of  this  large  building  was  quarried  from  a 
ledge  a  few  rods  distant.  The  old  mill,  erected  in  1807, 
was  removed  to  the  rear,  and  is  now  used  for  a 
storehouse.  It  had  been  enlarged  at  different  times, 
until  it  had  reached  the  respectable  dimensions  of  150 
feet  long  and  three  stories  high,  but  its  glory  had 
departed.  What  a  world  of  picking,  and  lapping,  and 
carding,  and  drawing,  and  twisting,  and  spinning,  and 
spooling,  and  dressing,  and  weaving,  and  packing,  it 
had  witnessed  in  its  day!  and  what  an  amount  of 
hurrying,  and  scolding,  and  fretting  and  sneezing,  and 
laughing,  and  chatting  !  But  all  this  could  not  save  the 
old  mill,  and  the  whir  of  the  spindle  and  the  click- 
clack  of  the  shuttle  has  ceased  within  its  walls  for  ever. 
It  could  not  stand  the  march  of  improvement.  Its 
compeer  across  the  river,  went  off,  a  few  years  before, 
in  a  chariot  of  fire,  while  the  old  green  mill  is  made  to 
sit  solitary  in  the  back  ground  awaiting  whatever  fate 
may  be  in  reserve  for  it  in  the  future. 

The  earliest  items  pertaining  to  schools  in  this  village, 
that  I  have  been  able  to  find,  reach  back  into  the  last 
century.  Joseph  B.  Pettis  is  distinctly  remembered,  as 
a  teacher,  by  a  gentleman  now  living,  in  whose  grand- 
father's family  Mr.  Pettis  boarded  at  the  time.  The 
school  was  kept  in  the  chambers  of  Anthony  Arnold's 
house,  opposite  Mr.  Enos  Lapham's.  In  1803  the  first 
school-house  was  built,  and  used  both  for  schools  and 
religious  meetings.  The  building  still  stands,  and  is 
used  as  a  wheelwright's  shop.  It  was  formally  dedicated 
with  religious  services.  The  first  term  of  instruction 
commenced  September  10,  1803,  with  Mr.  Pettis  as 
teacher.  How  long  Mr.  Pettis  taught  is  uncertain,  but 
he  finally  removed  to  Providence  where,  in  1828,  he  was 
the  preceptor  of  the  fourth  district.  Mr.  Pettis 
possessed  some  knowledge  of  medicine  and  is  remembered 
as  "Dr.  Pettis."  He  was  followed  by  Samuel  Greene 
who  died  a  few  years  ago  in  Coventry,  over  ninety  years 

*17 


198  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

of  age.  The  third  was  Sabin  Lewis  who  taught  also  at 
another  period  of  his  life  in  Apponaug.  He  is  said  to 
have  been  a  sea-faring  man  but  •'  excellent  in  the  science 
of  mathematics ;  was  a  landscape  painter  and  master  of 
a  forcible  style  of  composition."  He  subsequently 
removed  to  Pleasant  Valley,  New  York.  Oliver  Johnson, 
Esq.,  was  teacher  about  the  }Tear  1821. 

In  May,  1803,  the  "Warwick  West  School  Society"  was 
incorporated,  with  John  Greene  as  librarian,  Ray 
Johnson,  secretary,  and  John  Allen,  treasurer.  The 
charter  was  granted  to  nineteen  persons,  all  of  whom 
have  passed  away.  They,  or  at  least  a  portion  of  them, 
owned  the  school  house  and  provided  for  the  educational 
wants  of  the  village.  Similar  societies  had  been 
incorporated  in  different  parts  of  the  town. 

The  old  tavern -ho  use,  now  owned  by  Mr.  Lapham, 
was  built  by  Deacon  David  Cady.  He  was  an  active 
member  of  the  Methodist  church,  and  two  of  his  sons 
became  ministers  of  that  denomination  and  are  now  living 
in  Providence.  One  of  them,  Rev.  Jonathan  Cady, 
built  the  church  about  the  year  1831.  He  was  a 
carpenter  at  the  time.  The  old  house  was  occupied  by 
Oliver  Johnson,  Esq.,  of  Providence,  and  others,  as  a 
tavern,  and  it  has  also  been  used  as  a  post-office.  Dea. 
Cady  married  a  Miss  Waterman,  of  Killingly,  Conn., 
and  had  a  large  family  of  children.  His  second  wife 
was  a  daughter  of  Moses  Lippitt,  of  Old  Warwick. 
One  of  his  daughters,  Lucia,  married  Resolved 
Waterman,  Esq.,  of  Providence.  She  left  two  children, 
the  Rev.  Henry  Waterman,  an  Episcopalian  clergyman, 
of  Providence,  and  a  daughter,  Nancy,  who  married 
Rollin Mathewson,  Esq.,  also  of  Providence.  The  road 
that  passes  by  the  house  leading  to  Crompton  was  laid 
out  in  1773.  The  opposite  corner  was  the  north-east 
corner  of  the  James  Greene  estate  and  was  known,  in 
early  times  as  the  Haunted  Corner.  The  house  next 
south  of  the  old  tavern,  on  the  same  side  of  the  road, 
sometimes  called  the  Sterry  Fenner  house,  was  also  used 
as  a  tavern.     It  contained  a  hall,  and  is  remembered  by 


CENTREVILLE.  199 


the  older  residents  as  a  place  where  they  were 
accustomed  to  meet  and  spend  an  occasional  evening 
with  violin  accompaniment.  It  was  the  first  hall  in  the 
village.  Whether  the  music  disturbed  Dea.  Cady  or  not 
we  are  not  informed.  The  deacon  subsequently  removed 
to  Providence,  where  he  died. 

The  Methodists,  previous  to  the  building  of  their 
church  edifice,  worshipped  in  the  school  house,  but  had 
no  settled  preachers.  The  "Warwick  Circuit,,  was  quite 
extended,  including,  as  we  are  informed,  not  only  this 
village,  but  also  East  Greenwich,  Wickford,  Plainfielcl, 
Connecticut,  and  other  places,  and  the  preachers  were 
accustomed  to  preach  to  them  in  rotation.  One  of  the 
principal  members  of  the  church,  here,  for  many  years, 
was  Rev.  Moses  Fifield,  a  man  universally  esteemed  in 
the  community,  who  preached  during  the  latter  years  of 
his  life  only  infrequently.  When  the  Centreville  Bank 
was  incorporated,  in  1828,  Mr.  Fifield,  who  was  at  the 
time,  a  school  teacher  in  the  village,  was  elected  its  first 
cashier,  and  continued  in  that  position  until  a  few 
months  before  he  died.  He  was  also  the  treasurer  of 
the  Warwick  Institution  for  Savings,  from  its  organiza- 
tion, in  1845.  Elder  Fifield,  was  born  in  Unity,  N.  H., 
December  19,  1790,  and  died  April  19,  1859.  He 
married  Celia,  daughter  of  Robert  Knight ;  she  was 
born  May  27,  1786,  and  died  July  31, 1874.  They  both 
lie  buried  in  Point  Pleasant  Cemetery. 

In  1820,  or  thereabout,  the  corner  now  occupied  by 
the  pleasant  residence  of  Mr.  Ezra  J.  Cady,  boasted  of 
a  post  office,  the  first  one  in  the  village,  and  kept  in 
connection  with  a  "  wet  grocery,"  by  Whipple  A.  Arnold, 
and  Oliver  Johnson.  The  building  was  subsequently 
removed  a  short  distance  south,  on  the  turnpike,  where 
it  now  stands.  Mr.  Cady  has  an  acid  establishment  on 
the  Arctic  road,  where,  for  many  years,  he  furnished 
acid  to  various  print  works,  making,  at  times,  a  thousand 
gallons  weekly. 

On  May  27,  1859,  Mr.  Burrill  Arnold,  a  prominent 
temperance   man  of  Centreville,    returned   from  Provi- 


200  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK. 

dence  in  a  carriage,  and  arrived  at  his  home  about  sun 
down.  As  he  was  sitting  in  his  store,  conversing  with 
one  of  his  neighbors  a  few  minutes  afterwards,  a  person 
probably  disguised,  approached  the  window  from  the 
outside  and  deliberately  shot  Mr.  Arnold,  causing  im- 
mediate death.  The  affair  produced  intense  excitement 
in  the  village,  and  the  Town  Council  offered  a  reward  of 
$1000  for  the  apprehension  of  the  assassin,  which  was 
approved  by  the  town  meeting  held  the  following  June. 
Appropriate  resolutions  were  passed  by  the  town  in  re- 
ference to  the  affair  at  the  same  meeting,  but  the  assas- 
sin has  thus  far  escaped  the  punishment  of  the  law.  Mr. 
Arnold  was  buried  at  Greenwood  Cemetery,  at  Phenix, 
and  a  monument,  raised  by  subscription,  among  the 
friends  of  temperance,  marks  his  resting-place.  The  pane 
of  glass  that  was  shattered  by  the  ball  and  concussion 
remained  unset  for  several  years,  bearing  silent  testimony 
to  the  guilt  of  the  murderer,  and  the  baseness  of  a  traffic 
that  inspired  such  means  lor  its  defence.  Mrs.  Arnold 
subsequently  married  the  late  George  Hail,  Esq.,  of 
Providence.  Mr.  Arnold's  son,  George,  a  graduate  of 
Harvard  University,  and  a  young  man  of  much  promise, 
enlisted  in  the  late  war  and  died  in  camp  in  Virginia. 

The  Centreville  Bank  was  chartered  June  1828,  with 
a  capital  of  $25,000,  which  has  since  been  increased  to 
$100,000.  In  1865,  it  was  changed  to  a  national  bank. 
The  late  John  Greene  was  its  first  president,  and  the 
late  Rev.  Moses  Fifield  the  first  cashier.  Rev.  J.  Brayton 
is  now  the  president  and  Dr.  Moses  Fifield,  cashier.  The 
Warwick  Institution  for  Savings  was  orgauized  in  1845. 
The  amount  of  deposits  of  the  latter  institution  is 
$1,343,648  93.  The  number  of  depositors  is  2,495.  Pre- 
sent president,  Ezra  J.  Cady,  Esq.;  cashier,  Dr.  Moses 
Fifield.  In  passing  from  Centreville  to  Apponaug,  in 
1795,  we  should  pass  seven  houses,  including  the  old 
part  of  the  house  now  owned  by  Mr.  Horatio  L.  Carder, 
early  known  as  Nathan  Arnold's,  and  afterwards  as  Elisha 
Arnold's,  and  the  one  near  Apponaug,  owned  by  John 
Tibbitts.  The  Eben  Arnold  House,  now  owned  by  Mr.  J. 


CENTRE  VILLE.  201 

Johnson,  in  revolutionary  times  was  owned  by  Thomas 
Mattison,  and  was  used  for  a  while  during  the  war  as  an 
hospital.  The  farm  afterwards  passed  into  the  possession 
of  Nathaniel  Arnold,  familiarly  known  as  "  Black  Nat,'" 
who  for  a  while  kept  a  tavern  there.  On  the  opposite 
side  of  the  road,  about  the  year  1815,  there  was  a  small 
one-story  building  that  was  used  as  a  store,  and  in  one 
part  of  it  an  Irishman  by  the  name  of  McOnomy,  or 
some  such  name,  wove  shirting.  He  is  said  to  have 
been  the  first  Irishman  that  ever  lived  in  this  region. 
Nathaniel  Arnold  became  dissatisfied  with  his  home,  and 
with  his  characteristic  mode  of  speaking  said  he  was 
"  determined  to  sell  his  place  if  he  could  not  give  it 
away."  He  afterwards  sold  it  to  Philip  Arnold,  whose 
son,  Eben,  afterwards  came  into  possession  of  it.  Philip 
Arnold  was  a  wealthy  man,  and  lived  on  the  old  home- 
stead near  Natick,  but  afterwards  became  involved  and 
lost  most  of  his  property.  He  had  five  sons,  John, 
Henry,  Christopher,  Andrew  and  Eben.  The  latter  was 
the  father  of  Albert  H.  and  Ray  Gr.  Arnold,  well-known 
and  respected  citizens. 

A  review  of  the  past  three-fourths  of  a  century, 
during  which  the  village  of  Centreville  has  attained  its 
present  proportions,  shows  many  changes.  The  early 
residents  have  nearly  all  passed  away.  The  venerable 
Josiah  Merrill  who  was  born  December  5,  1799,  is  the 
oldest  person  in  the  village  who  has  made  the  place  his 
continuous  home.  Most  of  the  early  buildings  have 
been  either  demolished  or  submitted  to  modern  improve- 
ments. A  large  foreign  population  have  come  in,  drawn 
by  the  manufacturing  interests,  and  each  year  makes  its 
mark  upon  the  appearance  of  the  place.  So  will  it  con- 
tinue, probably,  as  the  years  advance,  until  the  vacant 
places  between  the  several  villages  will  be  filled  with 
residences,  and  the  distinctive  village  lines  become 
obliterated. 


202  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


ARCTIC. 

This  village  has  borne  its  present  chilly  name  for  about 
a  quarter  of  a  century,  or  since  the  erection  of  the  large 
cotton  mill  by  the  Spragues  in  1852-3.     It  was  pre- 
viously known  by  the  name  of  Wakefield.     The  Spragues 
seem  to  have  had  an  inclination  to  bring  the  names  of 
their  villages  into  a  kind  of  uniformity,  in  which  they 
have  partially  succeeded.     Cranston,  named  in  honor  of 
an  early  Governor  of  the  State,  of  that  name,  still  resists 
any  attempt  to  change  it  to  Crantic,  but  the  Spragues 
have  Natick,  Arctic,  Quidnick,  (previous  to  1848  .called 
"Tafts,")    and   Baltic.      On   the    19th   of  Feb.,  1834, 
Rufus  Wakefield   purchased  of  Dr.    Stephen   Harris  a 
small  tract  of  land   on  the  west  side   of  the  river,  for 
$150,  and  erected  a  stone  mill,   60  feet  by  40,  which  he 
rented  to  various  parties  who  made  woolen  cloth.     The 
building  still  remains,  and  is  used  as  a  warehouse.     The 
roof  was  burned  off  and  the  present  flat  roof  substituted. 
At  this  time  the  site  of  the  village  was  a  wilderness, 
covered  for  the  most  part  with  a  forest,  with  a  house 
here   and  there  scattered  over  the   territory.     To   the 
westward,  was  one  occupied  by  a  negro  and  his  wife, 
who  attained  some  consequence  among  the  surrounding 
families.     Prince  Holden,   as  he  was  called,  was  of  less 
consequence  than  his  sable  companion,  who  was  in  great 
demand  on  wedding  occasions,  on  account  of  her  skill  in 
making  wedding  cake. 

Among  those  who  occupied  Wakefield's  mill,  were 
Harris  O.  Brown  and  Philip  Aldrich,  of  Scituate,  who 
manufactured  a  coarse  kind  of  cloth,  used  principally  by 
the  southern  slaves.  They  were  followed  by  Clapp  and 
Allen:  the  latter  afterwards  became  interested  in  the 
mills  at  Hope  village.  Christopher  W.  Spalding  and 
Job  C.  Warriner  occupied  the  upper  story,  and  manu- 
factured Kentucky  jeans.  Mr.  Wakefield  was  a  stone- 
mason, and  married  the  daughter  of  Nehemiah  Atwood, 
of  Lippitt   village,  he  was  a  native  of  Charlton,  Mass., 


ARTIC.  203 

and  does  not  appear  to  have  been  engaged  in  his  mill  in 
this  village.  He  run  the  saw  mill  of  his  father-in-law, 
on  the  north  branch  of  the  Pawtuxet,  and  sawed  the 
lumber  for  the  Lippitt  mill.  Mr.  Wakefield's  mill  was 
run  by  the  natural  fall  of  water,  increased  by  a  rude 
dam  of  stones  laid  across  the  river — a  slight  fall  com- 
pared with  the  29£  feet  since  obtained. 

The  years  1845  and  6,  were  most  important  ones  in 
the  history  of  the  little  village   of  Wakefield,  and  were 
destined  to  exert  a  permanent  influence  upon  its  future 
career.     At  this  time,   Rev.    J.    Brayton,  then  pastor  at 
Phenix,  took  a  quiet  walk  along  the  bank  of  the  river 
as  far  as  Centrevilie,   and    estimated  as   well  as  he  was 
able  with  his  eye,  the  amount  of  fall   between  the  two 
villages.     His  observations  soon  convinced  him  that  here 
was  a  good  chance  for  a  temporary  investment,  the  pros- 
pective profits  of  which  would  be  a  desirable  addition  to 
his  pecuniary  resources,   which  at  this  time  were  quite 
limited.     But  it  was  easier  to  perceive   the   advantages 
resulting  from  the  possession  of  a  right  to  erect  a  dam  at 
Wakefield,  of  a  sufficient  height  to  secure  the  full  power 
of  the  stream,  than  to  obtain  the  right  to  erect  it.     The 
land  on  either  side  was  not  his,  and  he  had  no  money  to 
pui chase  it.     The  land  upon  the  east  bank,  was  a  portion 
of  a  large  farm,  and  held   at  the  time  by  Dr.  Tobey,  of 
Providence,  as  agent  of  the  heirs  of   Wm.    Almy,  of 
Providence,  who  was  authorized  to  sell  it  for  $15,000. 
He,  however,  consulted  with   Dr.   Tobey,  and  obtained 
the  refusal  of  it  for  one  week,  and  in  the  meantime  suc- 
ceeded in  interesting   Mr.  Henry  Marchant,  of  Provi- 
dence, in  his  project,   who    became  his  security  for  the 
necessary  funds.     The  property  was  purchased,  and  for 
immediate  security  of  Mr.    Marchant,   the  deed  of  the 
property  was  made  out  in  his  name.     A  difficulty  sub- 
sequently grew  out  of  the  matter,  which  was  settled  by 
referees,  the  details  of  which  is  not  necessary  to  relate 
here.     Mr.    Brayton  succeeded  in    recovering  the  deed 
from  Marchant,   Aug.   1,  1846.     Mr.    David   Whitman 
raised  $8000,  by  a  mortgage  upon  his  own  property,  and 


204  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

generously  loaned  Mr.  Brayton,  on  his  personal  security, 
and  thus  enabled  him  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  case. 
David  Whitman  was  the  son  of  General  Reuben  Whit- 
man, and  worked  in  the  mills  at  Phenix,  in  his  younger 
days,  gradually  rising  by  his  industry  and  integrity, 
until  he  became  connected  with  Zachariah  Allen  in  run- 
ning the  mills  there.  He  afterwards  made  it  his 
business  to  build  new  mills  and  start  them  up.  There 
are  several  well-remembered  instances  where,  by  judi- 
cious encouragement  he  assisted  men  in  their  adversity, 
and  induced  them  to  persevere  until  success  crowned 
their  efforts.  During  the  latter  years  of  his  life  he  pur- 
chased a  farm  in  Scituate,  some  three  miles  from  Phenix, 
where  his  widow  now  lives.  Marchant  still  continued 
to  hold  a  portion  of  the  land,  which  afterwards  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  heirs  of  Rufus  Wakefield,  who  sold  it, 
together  with  their  other  property  in  the  village,  to  A. 
&  W.  Sprague,  in  March,  1852,  for  111,400.  Wm. 
Wakefield,  the  only  surviving  child  of  Rufus,  resides  at 
St.  Paul's,  Minn.  Mr.  Brayton  also  sold  portions  of  his 
part  to  the  Spragues:  in  August,  1852,  38  acres  for 
$950  ;  and  in  December,  of  the  following  year,  another 
tract  for  $1500,  reserving  the  right  to  a  tract,  70  feet  by 
125,  for  the  site  of  a  church  or  academy,  but  which  was 
never  called  lor.  Further  additions  were  made  by  the 
Spragues  to  their  landed  estate  from  Dr.  Harris,  and  the 
right  o±  flowage  was  obtained  from  the  heirs  of  the  late 
John  Greene,  at  an  expense  of  $2500. 

The  Messrs.  Sprague  having  now  acquired  the  right 
of  making  use  of  the  water-power,  and  having  obtained 
sufficient  real  estate  for  their  purposes,  began  the  work 
of  destroying  and  remodeling  on  a  large  scale.  They 
destroyed  some  of  the  old  buildings,  turned  the  woolen 
mill  into  a  store-house,  and  excavated  with  great  labor 
a  quarry  of  rock  on  the  east  bluff,  for  the  wheel-pit  and 
foundation  of  a  mill.  A  dam  was  built,  which  secured 
them  a  fall  of  water  of  29£  feet.  A  granite  mill  grad- 
ually rose  up  in  this  then  almost  wilderness,  whose  di- 
mensions were  312  feet  in  length,   70  feet  wide,  four 


ARCTIC.  205 


stories,  each  twelve  feet  high  with  an  L,  50  by  92  feet, 
which  contains  the  machine  shop,  dressing  and  lapper 
rooms.  The  plan  of  the  mill  originated  with  Gov. 
Sprague,  the  draft  for  the  arrangement  of  the  machinery- 
was  made  by  Albert  G.  Smith.  This  large  and  costly 
structure  took  fire  on  the  evening  of  March  17,  1865, 
and  all  its  contents  were  destroyed.  The  fire  originated 
in  the  machine  shop,  where  some  painters'  materials 
were  stored,  some  naptha  became  suddenly  ignited,  and 
before  sufficient  assistance  arrived  the  flames  were  be- 
yond control.  Only  the  walls  remained  standing  the 
next  morning.  It  is  said  the  loss  exceeded  the  insur- 
ance by  180,000.  With  commendable  enterprise  the 
debris  was  removed,  the  walls  examined  by  experts,  and 
found  in  the  main  of  sufficient  strength  to  allow  of  their 
remaining.  Defective  portions  were  removed  and  the 
whole  strengthened,  and  the  renovated  mill,  having 
passed  through  its  fiery  baptism,  was  soon  seen  in  all  its 
previous  beauty,  and  its  22,000  spindles  were  buzzing 
as  merrily  as  ever. 

COLD  SPRING. 

On  the  west  bank  of  the  river,  a  short  distance 
below  the  dam,  a  small  piece  of  land  was  owned  by  Mr. 
Alexander  Allen,  on  which  was  a  little  spring,  called 
Cold  Spring,  from  which  issued  a  little  stream  of  water, 
in  connection  with  which  Mr.  Allen  had  a  small  tin 
water-wheel  which  furnished  power  for  some  slight 
mechanical  work.  The  wheel  was  so  placed  as  to  pre- 
vent the  Harris's  from  raising  their  dam,  at  River  Point, 
without  flowing  the  water  back  upon  it.  Subsequent 
negotiations  between  the  parties  resulted  in  an  exchange 
of  this  lot  for  a  tract  of  land  to  the  westward,  to  the 
advantage,  doubtless,  of  both  parties,  but  especially  so 
to  that  of  Mr.  Allen. 

Within  the  past  few  years,  the  western  bank  of  the 
river  leading  to  Centreville  and  Quidnick  has  rapidly 
increased   in   population,  and    numerous   neat  and  com- 

18 


206 


HISTOEY   OF   WARWICK. 


modious  dwellings  have  been  erected.  A  large  and 
handsome  church  edifice  has  been  erected  by  the  French 
Catholics,  of  whom  large  numbers  are  employed  in  the 
several  villages.  In  1873,  mainly  through  the  efforts  of 
Hon.  Benedict  Lapbam,  a  new  railroad  station  house  was 
erected  near  by,  and  passengers  from  Centreville  and 
Crompton,  were  no  longer  under  the  necessity  to  take 
the  long  and  tedious  omnibus  rides  to  River  Point,  on 
their  way  to  and  from  Providence.  About  a  year  ago, 
a  portion  of  the  village  and  surrounding  territory  was 
set  off  from  the  Centreville  school  district  and  formed 
into  a  separate  district,  and  a  school-house  has  been 
erected  within  the  past  few  months. 

PHENIX. 

The  territory  embraced  within  the  boundaries  of  the 
present  village  has  been  designated  by  several  different 
names  since  its  first  settlement  by  the  pioneers  of  the 
town.  The  tract  of  land  reaching  from  the  Shanticut 
brook  up  along  the  north  branch  of  the  Pawtuxet,  as 
far,  at  least,  as  Arkwright,  and  embracing  2100  acres, 
was  originally  termed  Natick.  This  name  gradually 
loosened  its  hold  upon  the  westerly  portions,  and  became 
the  permanent  appellation  of  the  village  which  still  bears 
it.  The  tract  was  assigned  in  March,  1673,  by  the  pro- 
prietors of  Warwick,  to  John  Greene,  Senior,  -Richard 
Carder,  John  Warner,  Benjamin  Barton  and  Henry 
Townsend,  as  their  portion  of  the  then  undivided  lands. 
It  was  bounded  easterly,  on  Moshanticut  brook  ;  south- 
erly, on  the  Pawtuxet  river ;  northerly,  on  the  north  line 
of  Warwick  grand  purchase,  and  as  far  westerly  as 
was  necessary  to  complete  the  2100  acres.  Various 
changes  in  its  ownership  had  taken  place  previous  to 
1750,  at  which  time  the  westerly  portion,  including  the 
site  of  the  present  village,  became  known  as  Wales. 
Samuel  Wales  was,  at  this  time,  one  of  the  principal 
owners  of  the  land  in  this  vicinity.  Benjamin  Ellis, 
Anthony    Burton,     Charles     Atwood,    and    Andrews 


PHENIX.  207 


Edmonds,  at  this  date  were  also  prominent  land  holders 
along  the  line  of  the  river,  and  reaching  back  over  the 
hills  to  the  northward  and  eastward. 

Under  date  of  May,  1737,  the  General  Assembly 
authorized  the  construction  of  a  highway  "  from  near 
the  house  of  Capt.  Rice,  in  Warwick,  to  the  grist  mill 
commonly  called  Edmonds  mill,  and  from  thence  to 
extend  westerly  to  the  south-east  corner  of  the  town  of 
Scituate."  This  old  highway  is  the  one  that  passes 
through  the  present  village  of  Natick,  over  the  lower 
bridge,  thence  up  over  Natick  hill  to  the  present  village 
of  Lippitt,  where  Edmonds'  mill  was  situated.  From 
this^oint  it  took  a  turn  westerly,  up  over  the  hill  by  the 
present  school-house,  and  down  by  the  old  Atwood 
homestead.  This  was  the  only  public  road  through  the 
village  until  the  year  1813,  when  a  charter  was  granted 
to  several  persons  to  build  a  turnpike  from  the  present 
village  of  Anthony  through  the  village  to  a  point  north 
where  it  would  intersect  an  existing  highway.  It  was 
called  the  Coventry  and  Cranston  turnpike,  and  was  laid 
out  May  13,  1813.  The  distance  was  3  miles,  103  rods, 
and  22  links.  It  was  one  of  the  first  turnpikes  built  in 
the  state  and  excited  considerable  comment  at  the  time. 

Anthony  Burton  sold  to  Charles  Atwood,  February  16, 
1747,  a  lot  of  land  for  £2400,  bounded  as  follows  :  east- 
erly, by  land  of  Joseph  Edmonds  and  Joseph,  Jr.; 
southerly,  upon  land  of  Benjamin  Ellis  and  the  north 
branch  of  Pawtuxet  river ;  and  westerly,  upon  land 
belonging  to  the  heirs  of  Samuel  Wales,  containing  144 
acres.  Four  years  afterwards,  or  on  the  21st  of  May, 
1751,  as  per  deed  of  that  date,  Charles  Atwood  made  a 
further  purchase  of  land  from  Benjamin  Ellis  of  "  a 
certain  tenement  and  tract  of  land  situate,  lying  and 
being  within  the  township  of  Warwick,  commonly 
called  and  known  by  the  name  of  Wales,  and  bounded 
as  follows:  easterly,  upon  land  of  Andrews  Edmonds; 
southerly,  by  the  north  branch  of  the  Pawtuxet  river  ; 
westerly  and  northerly,  by  land  of  said  Charles  Atwood ; 
— and  is  divided  into  two  pieces  by  a  highway  of  three 


208  HISTORY   OF  WARWICK. 

rods  wide  ;  the  whole  of  said  land  contains  twelve  acres : 
no  more  or  less."  The  consideration  was  £560,  current 
money  of  New  England.  156  acres  of  land,  which 
included  the  sites  of  the  present  Phenix  and  Lippitt 
mills,  thus  fell  into  the  hands  of  Charles  Atwood.  How 
much  he  owned  previous  to  these  purchases  I  am  unable 
to  say.  Previous  to  1783,  Charles  Atwood  died,  and 
his  estate  was  divided  between  his  three  sons,  Charles, 
Nehemiah  and  Caleb.  A  quit  claim  deed  of  partition 
of  the  estate,  signed  by  the  three  sons  and  recorded  in 
Book  2d,  Warwick  records,  in  connection  with  a  plat  of 
the  estate,  reads  as  follows  :  "The  above  deciphered  farm 
was  laid  out  the  20th  day  of  February,  1783  ;  the  bigger 
part  of  said  farm  lies  in  Warwick  and  the  rest  in  Coven- 
trv,  and  the  above  said  farm  was  laid  out  for  the  three 
sons  of  Charles  Atwood,  late  of  Warwick,  deceased,  for 
them  to  proceed  to  make  their  division,  by  the  consent  of 
each  other,  agreeable  to  their  father's  will ;  and  then 
proceeded  and  made  division  of  said  farm  of  themselves, 
and  made  division  as  near  quantit}r  for  quality,  near  as 
may  be  to  suit  themselves  and  their  father's  will ;  which 
division  was  made  by  them  and  surveyed  by  their  order, 
and  all  were  fully  contented  and  agreed  among  them- 
selves." 

The  western  portion  of  the  farm  of  64  acres  fell  to 
Charles,  the  central  to  Caleb,  and  the  eastern  to 
Nehemiah.  Eight  acres  upon  which  the  Phenix  mills 
are  now  situated,  and  which  seems,  by  the  plat,  naturally 
to  belong  to  the  central  division,  or  that  of  Caleb,  it  ly- 
ing adjacent  to  his  portion  and  separated  from  it  only  by 
the  highway,  was  assigned  to  Nehemiah.  West  of  this 
tract  of  eight  acres,  on  the  south  side  of  the  highway, 
was  an  acre  and  forty  rods  set  off  to  Caleb.  To  the 
west  of  this  latter  portion  was  a  narrow  strip  bordering 
upon  the  river  and  extending  a  little  beyond  the 
Coventry  line,  which  was  set  off  to  Charles  Atwood. 

To  the  tract  of  eight  acres  Nehemiah  added,  by  pur- 
chase of  his  brother  Caleb,  the  one  acre  and  forty  rods, 
and   retained   possession  of  it  until  there  was  a  call  for 


PHENIX.  209 


the  use  of  the  water  privilege.  On  August  16,  1809, 
Nehemiah  Atwood  gave  a  deed  of  this  tract  to  Daniel 
Baker,  William  Baker,  Samuel  Baker,  and  William 
Harrison,  of  Warwick,  Reuben  Whitman,  of  Coventry, 
Elisha  Williams  and  John  S.  Williams,  of  Cranston,  "  ex- 
cepting the  highway  running  through  these  premises  ; 
and  the  grantor  is  not  to  erect  his  dam  below  said  prem- 
ises, any  higher  than  a  certain  hole  drilled  in  a  rock  on 
the  east  side  of  the  river,  near  the  upper  gates  that  let 
the  water  into  the  grantor's  trench-ways.  And  the 
grantees  are  not  to  erect  any  grist  or  saw  mill  on  said 
premises  at  any  time  hereafter,  so  long  as  the  grantor 
owns  the  mills  and  water  privileges  below  said  premises." 
The  consideration  was  the  sum  of  $600.  Nehemiah 
Atwood  had  a  saw  mill  and  grist  mill  lower  down  the 
river,  the  interests  of  which  he  took  pains  to  protect  in 
this  deed.  The  company  commenced  operations  by 
building  a  dam  across  the  river,  and,  in  the  year  1810-11, 
erected  a  mill  which  became  known  as  the  Roger 
Williams  mill.  The  building  was  of  wood,  with  a  stone 
basement,  the  end  being  toward  the  road.  Several  tene- 
ment houses  sprang  up  in  the  vicinity,  forming  the  nu- 
cleus of  the  present  village,  which,  from  this  time  until 
after  the  burning  of  the  mill,  in  May,  1821,  was  known 
as  Roger  Williams  Village.  Reuben  Whitman  became 
the  superintendent  of  the  mill,  and  built  the  house  now 
owned  by  Thomas  R.  Parker.  The  old  Atwood  house 
stood  just  back  of  the  Phenix  hotel,  and  was  torn  down 
about  the  year  1845.  The  old  chimney  was  torn  down 
by  Wm.  B.  Spencer,  Esq.,  when  he  built  "  Spencer's 
hall."  The  east  chimney  of  the  hall  was  built  upon  the 
site  of  the  old  well  which  was  filled  up  to  secure  a 
foundation. 

Soon  after  the  destruction  of  the  Roger  Williams 
mill,  new  buildings  arose  from  its  ashes,  and  both 
the  new  company  and  the  village  assumed  the 
name  of  Phenix.  The  Phoenix  was  said  to  be  a  won- 
derful Egyptian  bird,  about  the  size  of  the  eagle,  with  a 
plumage  partly  red  and  partly  golden.     The  bird  is  said 

*18 


210  HISTOEY  OF   WARWICK. 

to  have  gone  from  Arabia  to  Egypt  every  500  years, 
bearing  the  dead  body  of  its  parent  embalmed  in  myrrh, 
to  the  temple  of  the  sun  :  or  according  to  another  ac- 
count, when  he  found  himself  near  his  death,  he  pre- 
pared a  nest  of  myrrh  and  precious  herbs  where  he 
burnt  himself,  and  immediately  revived  lrom  his  ashes 
in  all  the  freshness  and  vigor  of  youth.  The  subse- 
quent history  of  the  village  might  suggest  the  possibility 
that  the  assumption  of  this  name  by  the  village  at  this 
time,  gave  offence  to  the  bird,  and,  as  an  expiation  of 
the  offence,  it  was  doomed  to  earn  its  title  by  subse- 
quent sacrifices. 

The  extensive  water-power  offered  by  the  river  from 
Hope  village  to  River  Point  awakened  the  enterprise  of 
manufacturers,  and  the  destruction  of  the  Roger  Wil- 
liams failed  to  daunt  the  courage  of  those  who  saw 
wealth  and  prosperity  in  its  swiftly  moving  currents. 
The  old  company,  composed  principally  of  men  of  small 
means,  and  of  little  experience  in  the  business,  had  not 
found  it  a  profitable  undertaking,  and  were  ill  prepared 
to  sustain  the  loss  occasioned  by  the  fire.  .  A  new  com- 
pany was  formed,  which  styled  itself  the  Phenix  Manu- 
facturing Company.  They  put  up  a  new  mill  on  the 
site  of  the  old  one  in  1823,  and  two  years  after,  the  one 
that  stands  just  above  it.  The  village  now  began  to  in- 
crease rapidly.  Many  dwelling-houses  were  erected, 
stores  were  built,  and  in  1849,  Win.  B.  Spencer  erected 
the  block  called  Spencer's  Hall.  This  was  burnt  No- 
vember 21,  1855,  and  rebuilt  immediately ;  burnt  the 
second  time,  May  24,  1871,  rebuilt  of  brick,  and  again 
destroyed  by  fire,  March  5,  1873.  Other  industries  were 
introduced,  and  a  season  of  prosperity  enjoyed. 


PHENIX. 


211 


<r    <=2- 


SPENCER'S    HALL. 


212 


HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


Of  the  further  changes  that  took  place  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  mills  prior  to  January,  1861,  we  have  not  space 
to  relate.  On  the  latter  date  the  Hope  Company  was 
organized,  composed  of  John  Carter  Brown,  Robert  H. 
Ives  and  others.  The}'  bought  out  Benjamin  C.  Harris,  who 
held  the  lower  mill  and  half  the  privilege,  and  in  1857, 
purchased  the  lease  of  the  upper  mill  and  the  other  half 
of  the  privilege  held  by  Thomas  Harris  and  Christopher 
Lippitt,  which  had  three  years  to  run.  Since  then  the 
company  have  run  both  the  mills.  Mr.  W.  T.  Pearce 
has  been  the  efficient  superintendent  for  the  past  four- 
teen years. 

Before  the  Roger  Willliams  was  burnt  a  building 
stood  near  the  upper  gates  of  the  present  dam,  which 
was  used  awhile  as  a  wood  shop.  It  escaped  the  fire 
but  was  subsequently  moved  to  another  site.  Across 
the  trench  stood  the  old  Roger  Williams  machine  shop, 
where  Daniel  Gorharn  commenced  the  building  of 
machinery.  The  upper  portion  was  sometimes  used 
for  religious  meetings,  and  here  the  eccentric  Lorenzo 
Dow,  is  remembered  to  have  preached.  Mr.  Gorham 
continued  to  build  machinery  until  he  died,  when  the 
business  was  carried  on  by  Cyril  Babcock  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  Mr.  Babcock  afterwards  removed  to 
Providence  and  became  connected  with  the  Franklin 
Foundry  Machine  Company.  After  he  left,  the  firm  of 
Levalley,  Lanphear  &  Co.  was  formed,  composed  of 
Robert  Levalley,  Thomas  P.  Lanphear,  Elisha  Harris  and 
Giles  Spencer.  They  continued  in  the  old  building 
until  the  Harris  Mf'g  Co.  erected  the  building  in  which 
the  present  Lanphear  Machine  Co.  carry  on  the  business. 
Cyril  Babcock  married  the  sister  of  Daniel  Gorham  for 
his  first  wife,  and  a  daughter  of  the  late  Dr.  Peleg  Clark, 
of  Coventry,  for  his  second.  Mr.  Babcock  met  with  a 
severe  accident  several  years  before  his  death.  He  died 
suddenly  while  riding  in  a  horse  car  in  Providence. 

On  November  30,  1810,  as  per  deed  of  that  date, 
Molly  Atwood,  widow,  Russel,  Frances  B.,  and  George 
Atwood,  conveyed  a  small  strip  of  land  to  Charles 
Bray  ton,  described  as  follows: 


PHEisrix  213 


"  All  the  right,  title  and  claim,  we  have,  or  either  of  us  have 
ever  had,  or  of  right  ought  to  have,  to  a  certain  small  lot  or 
parcel  of  land,  situated'  partly  in  Warwick  and  partly  in 
Coventry,  in  that  part  called  Natick,  near  Edmonds'  bridge  (so 
called),  and  bounded  and  described  as  followeth,  viz. :  Begin- 
ning at  a  certain  bound,  erected  in  line  of  the  highway,  and  in 
the  wall,  a  little  west  from  the  Dwelling-house  late  belonging 
to  Charles  Atwood,  deceased,  and  running  northerly,  a 
straight  line,  to  the  end  of  a  wall  a  little  to  the  northward  and 
eastward  of  said  bridge,  which  is  supposed  to  be  the  North 
line  of  the  town  of  Warwick;  from  thence  to  the  river  at  right 
angles, — and  meaning  to  convey  all  the  right  and  title  we  have 
in,  and  to  all  the  land  lying  between  said  lines  and  the  river, 
otherwise  bounded  easterly  and  northerly,  on  the  grantor's 
land  :  westerly,  on  the  river  ;  and  southerly,  on  land  owned  by 
the  owners  of  the  Roger  Williams  Cotton  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, to  wit:  Caleb  Williams  and  others." 

The  consideration  was  $6.  This  tract  was  conveyed 
by  Charles  Bray  ton  to  Babcock  &  Stone,  Aug.  9,  1834. 
the  consideration  being  $80.  Edmonds'  bridge  crossed 
the  river  near  where  the  Briggs'  House  now  stands. 
The  bridge  was  kept  up  until  after  the  Coventry  and 
Cranston  turn  pike  was  put  through,  and  was  then  suf 
fered  to  decay.  A  man  by  the  name  of  Esek  Edmonds 
lived  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  in  the  house  now 
owned  by  Mr.  Win.  C.  Ames. 

Previous  to  the  year  1820,  the  only  dwelling-houses 
on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  between  the  spot  where 
now  stands  the  Lippitt  store  and  the  machine  shop  in 
Harrisville  with  the  exception  of  those  connected  with 
the  mills  was  one  owned  by  Caleb  Atwood,  on  the  site  of 
the  one  now  standing  next  west  of  Dr.  Clark's,  the  old 
Atwood  house  just  back  of  the  present  Phenix  Hotel,  x 
already  alluded  to,  and  an  old  house  that  stood  on  the 
site  of  the  upper  end  of  the  present  MacJK^^hop,  owned  ^ 
by  a  man  named  Roberts,  one  of  whose  descendants  is  a 
practicing  physician  in  Scituate.  The  gambrel  roofed 
building  in  the  rear  of  the  store  at  Lippitt,  was  occu- 
pied at  one  time  by  Col.  Christopher  Lippitt,  who  was 
Superintendent  of  the  Lippitt  Mfg.  Co.  Caleb  Atwood 
afterwards  built  a  house  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road 
from  his  residence,   which  was  used  as  a  hotel.     Mr. 


214 


HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


Atwood  kept  the  toll-gate.  In  the  year  1825,  the  estate 
of  George  Atwood,  a  descendant  of  Charles,  was  cut  up 
and  sold  to  various  parties,  and  from  about  this  date  the 
number  of  private  dwellings  rapidly  increased.  On  the 
site  of  the  machine  shop  there  was  a  small  two-story 
stone  building,  owned  by  Daniel  Atwood.  A  novel  kind 
of  a  dam,  that  extended  in  an  oblique  direction  only 
half-way  across  the  river,  excited  the  curiosity  of  the 
people  and  turned  the  water  upon  the  wheel  of  their 
mill,  which  received  the  significant  name  of  the  "Dump- 
ling mould." 

On  the  south  side  of  the  river,  on  the  hill,  stands  the 
house  owned  previous  to  1820,  by  Peter  Levalley,  who  is 
said  to  have  been  a  descendant  of  the  Huguenots,  a 
term  of  contempt  applied  to  French  Protestants  in  the 
sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries.  Previous  to  the 
year  1700,  the  forty-five  families  of  this  class  who  had 
settled  French  town  in  this  State,  all  but  two  had 
removed  to  New  York.  Gabriel  Bernon  and  Pierre 
Ayrould  went  to  Newport,  where  they  appear  to  have 
settled.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  religious  pro- 
clivities of  Peter  Levalley,  he  found  the  hill-top  overlook- 
ing the  valley  of  the  Pawtuxet  a  pleasant  place  to 
reside,  and  here  he  spent  his  life  rearing  his  family  and 
cultivating  a  portion  of  his  extensive  farm.  An  old 
deed  of  conveyance,  bearing  date  of  March  5,  1757, 
informs  us  that  Job  Greene,  of  Coventry,  conveyed  to 
Peter  Levalle}r  fifty  acres  of  land  "laid  out  as  near  a 
square  as  may  be,"  and  bounded  southerly  on  land  of 
Michael  Levalley,  easterly  on  land  of  Thomas  Utter  and 
westerly  on  land  of  grantee.  The  consideration  was 
£1260.  ^^01  "Levalley  was  the  father  of  Peter.  In 
1761,  Job  Greene  also  conveyed  to  Peter  Levalley  a 
portion  of  land,  "bounded  northerly  on  land  of  Joseph 
Edmonds  and  partly  on  grantor,  easterly,  partly  on  the 
river  and  partly  on  land  of  Thomas  Utter,  southerly,  on 
land  of  the  grantee."  The  tract  contained  twenty-five 
acres,  and  the  consideration  was  £1100.  Peter  Levalley 
gradually  added  to  his  domain   by  inheritance  and  pur- 


PHENIX.  215 


chase  until  he  became  a  large  land  holder.     His  farm, 
embraced  a   tract  of  several  huudred  acres  in  extent, 
reaching  as  far  at  least  as  the   pleasant    residence    of 
Henry  L.  Greene,  Esq.,  in   that  direction,  and  winding 
around  southerly  and  westerly  so  as  to    embrace   the 
grounds  now  known  as  the   Greenwood  Cemetery.     At 
his  death,  about  the  year  1820,   his  estate  was  divider^ 
among  his  children.     His  son  Thomas,    when  the  turn-      ^££/h 
pike  was  built,  erected  the  house  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  road,  now  occupied  by  John  Levalley ;    Josiah  and 
William,  Ruth,  who  married   Samuel   Baker,  of  Natick 
Hill ;  Catherine,   who  died  unmanied  ;  Margaret,  who 
married  Judge  Hennr  Remington,  and  Mary,  the  mother 
of  the  eccentric  Amanda,  were  his  children.     To  the 
north  of  the  Levally  farm  and  bordering  upon  the  river 
Anthony  A.  Rice  owned  about   thirty-five  acres,  a  por 
tion  of  which  he  sold  to  the  Lippitt  company   to  enable 
them  to  turn  the  river  into  a  new  channel,  and  thereby 
prevent  the  water  from  flowing  back  upon  their  water- 
wheel.     In  1837,  on  the   death    of  Mr.  Rice,  the  estate 
was  divided  among  his  heirs.     At  the   time  the  Roger 
Williams  mill-  was  burnt,   Mr.  Rice  lived  in  the  house 
that   stands   west   of  the  one   built   by    Gen.     Reuben 
Whitman,  father  of  David  Whitman.     Mrs.  Rice,  or  as 
she  was  familiarly  called  "Mum   Rice,"   observing  the 
prosperity  and  growth  of  the  village,  at  one  time  declared 
that  she  "really  believed  that  Phenix  was   des-ti-ned 
yet  to  be  a  sea-port  town."     It  is  said  that  when  the 
bridge  was  being  built  acioss  the  river,  and  before  the 
flooring  was  laid,  she  walked  across  on  one  of  the  string 
pieces,  as  perpendicularly  as  a  plumb  line  and  as  uncon- 
cernedly as  though   she   was  on  a  common  path-way, 
thus  foreshadowing  the    celebrity   that  has  since  been 
achieved  by  one  of  her  grand-children,  in  his  airy  and 
watery   gymnastics.     Mrs.    Rice    is   remembered   as  an 
active,   industrious   woman    and    the   many   anecdotes 
related  of  her,  bear   evidence    of  her  wit  rather  than  of 
her  ignorance. 

The   educational  and  religious  privileges  afforded  by 


216  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

the  village  at  the  present  time  have  arrived  at  their 
present  state  by  a  gradual  progress.  Previous  to  the 
year  1827,  there  was  no  building  in  the  village  which 
had  been  erected  especially  for  these  purposes.  The  old. 
Tatem  meeting-house,  the  first  one  built  in  the  village, 
was  erected  in  1829,  and  occupied  subsequently  by  the 
Methodists,  who  afterwards  purchased  it.  The  second, 
built  by  the  old  Baptists,  a  branch  of  the  "  Maple  Root," 
in  Coventry,  was  erected  in  1838.  The  Baptist  church 
v*  was  built  in  1842,  and  sold  to  the  Catholics  in  1859, 
and  in  the  following  year  they  entered  the  vestry  of  their 
new  and  beautiful  house.  The  Methodist  church  was 
built  by  Dea.  Pardon  Spencer,  of  Crompton,  in  1857-8. 
The  first  week-day  schools  were  held  in  private  houses, 
and  probably  accommodated  all  who  were  inclined  to 
attend  them.  In  1818,  Miss  Amey  Gorton,  sister  of 
Mrs.  William  B.  Spencer,  taught  in  a  house  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river,  and  subsequently,  Elisha  W. 
Baker,  brother  of  the  late  Dr.  Baker,  of  Fiskville, 
taught  in  the  same  house,  and  for  one  term,  had  a  school 
in  the  house  of  the  late  Dea.  Wm.  Spencer.  A  man  by 
the  name  of  Austin  is  also  remembered  as  a  teacher 
about  this  time.  Following  this  arrangement,  but  at 
what  precise  date  I  have  not  been  able  to  determine,  a 
school  was  held  in  a  building  erected  as  a  store,  north 
of  Lippitt  village,  on  the  turnpike.  The  internal  ar- 
rangements were  of  the  simplest  character,  quite  in  con- 
trast with  the  accommodations  of  the  present  day.  Rude 
slabs  from  the  neighboring  saw-mill,  with  the  less  un- 
comfortable side  uppermost,  with  pegs  driven  into  them 
for  legs,  without  backs,  constituted  the  seats,  while 
about  the  sides  of  the  room  a  board  was  attached  to  be 
used  by  the  pupils  in  turn,  while  in  the  exercise  of  pen- 
manship. Upon  such  seats  many  an  urchin  sat,  with 
dangling  feet,  and,  perchance,  fell  asleep,  and  slept,  to 
fall,  and  fell,  to  electrify  the  little  company  with  an  ex- 
temporary solo  more  distinct  than  melodious.  With  the 
primitive  school-room  were  associated  a  little  roughness 
in  some  of    the  teachers,  though  probably  not  more  in 


PHENIX.  217 


the  schools  in  this  vicinity  than  in  others.  Hood,  in  his 
"  Irish  school-master,"  gives  a  ludicrous  and  overdrawn 
picture  of  the  early  teachers  of  his  day,  and  which  will 
hardly  be  applicable  in  all  respects,  with  the  earlier 
teachers  of  this  town,  though  in  some  respects  a  re- 
semblance may  be  detected  : 

"No  chair  he  hath,  the  awful  pedagogue, 
Such  as  would  magisterial  hams  imbed: 
But  sitteth  lowly  on  a  birchen  log 
Secure  in  high  authority  and  dread. 
And  so  he  sits  amidst  his  little  pack 
That  look  for  shady  or  for  sunny  noon 
Within  his  visage  as  an  almanack; 
His  quiet  smile  foretelling  gracious  boon, 
But  when  his  mouth  drops  down  like  rainy  moon, 
With  horrid  chill  each  little  heart  unwarms, 
Knowing  that  infant  showers  will  follow  soon, 
And  with  forebodings  of  near  wrath  and  storms, 
They  sit  like  trembling  hares,  all  trembling  on  their  forms." 

In  1827  a  charter  was  granted  by  the  General  As- 
sembly, to  "  The  Lippitt  and  Phenix  Sabbath-school 
Society,"  and  from  the  time  the  society  built  their  house, 
which  was  done  at  once,  the  village  has  had  a  per- 
manent place  for  schools,  and  also  for  religious  worship, 
as  long  as  the  house  was  needed.  There  was  no  settled 
pastor  in  the  place  at  this  time,  but  occasionally  a  minis- 
ter came  in  and  held  meetings  and  then  departed.  The 
Methodist  circuit  preachers  made  occasional  visits,  and 
Henry  Tatem,  who  was  a  tailor  by  trade,  and  worked  in 
a  little  shop  still  standing,  held  occasional  services. 

Elder  Charles  Stone,  grandfather  of  the  late  Horatio 
Stone,  then  preaching  at  Coventry,  in  what  has  since 
been  known  as  the  old  Stone  meeting-house,  is  remem- 
bered as  one  of  the  earlier  occasional  preachers.*  At 
this  time    the  house  of  the  late  Dea.  Wm.  Spencer  was 

*  Elder  Stone  preached  in  the  old  Baptist  meeting-house,  in  Cov- 
entry, that  stood  "  on  the  road  that  leads  from  Thomas  Waterman's  to 
Thomas  Brayton's,  on  a  location  between  said  Waterman's  and  the  • 
house  of  Christopher  Knight."  >  The  old  house,  the  site  of  which  may 
still  be  pointed  out,  was  built  i"<  1758-9  Elder  Stone  was  ordained  to 
the  ministry,  June,  20, 1798,  and   preached  in  this  house  many  years, 

19 


218  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

the  usual  stopping-place  of  such  persons,  where  they 
always  found  a  cordial  welcome.  Dea.  Spencer  belonged 
to  the  church  at  French  town,  and  was  accustomed  to 
walk  over  there  on  Saturday  and  return  on  Monday.  He 
continued  to  do  this  until  a  few  years  before  he  died. 
The  object  of  the  "  Sabbath-School  Society''  was  to  pro- 
vide a  suitable  building  where  not  only  the  Sabbath- 
school  but  the  week-day  school  and  religious  meetings 
could  be  held.  The  record  book  of  the  society  is  before 
me,  from  which  it  appears  that "'  Stephen  Levalley,  Rufus 
Wakefield,  Edmund  C.  Gould,  Daniel  Gorham,  William 
Spencer,  Esq.,  and  others,"  petitioned  the  General  As- 
sembly for  an  act  of  incorporation.  The  petition  was 
granted,  and  the  society  was  permitted  to  hold  real  and 
personal  property  to  the  amount  of  $L0,000. 

The  corporation  proceeded  at  once  to  provide  a  build- 
ing. The  lot,  which  is  the  one  now  occupied  by  the 
public  school,  was  purchased  of  Caleb  Atwood,  by 
William  Spencer,  in  behalf  of  the  society,  who  gave  a 
deed  of  transfer  to  the  society.  Its  cost  was  $100. 
Bowen  Angell  built  the  house,  at  a  cost,  to  the  society, 
of  $553  80,  which,  with  the  cost  of  the  lot,  painting,  &c, 
added,  amounted  to  $882  71.  This  amount  was  divided 
into  1-34  shares,  at  $6  55  per  share,  making  $877  70. 
By  the  act  of  incorporation,  no  person  was  allowed  to 
hold  more  than  sixteen  shares,  and  each  share  was  en- 
titled to  a  vote,  in  the  management  of  its  affairs.  The 
Lippitt  Manufacturing  Company,  however,  held  forty- 
four  shares.  At  a  meeting  held  August  4, 1827,  Samuel 
Briggs,  Jr.,  was  elected  president ;  Stephen  G.  Hopkins, 
secretary  ;  and  Rufus  Wakefield,  treasurer.  James  A. 
Hills,  William  Spencer,  and  Stephen  G.  Hopkins,  a  com- 
mittee "  to  let  the  school-house,  examine  the  school, 
solicit  preachers,"  &c.  Financially,  the  project  seemed 
to  be  somewhat  successful,  as  in  1828  the  Society  de- 

and  until  his]  death,  in  1844.  He  is  remembered  as  "a  man  of  deep> 
practical  sense,  and  active  piety.  He  was  not  educated,  but  belonged 
to  that  class  of  self-made  minds  that  no  want  of  learning  can  cramp 
into  error,  or  seduce  into  mental  indolence." 


PHJBNIX.  219 


clared  a  dividend  of  fourteen  cents  on  each  share.  In 
1829,  thirty-one  cents,  and  the  following  year,  twenty- 
two  cents. 

The  following  were  the  name.s  of  the  several  presi- 
dents of  the  society:  Edmund  C.  Gould,  in  1829;  Wm. 
C.  Ames.  1830  to  1832;  Leonard  Loveland,  from  1832 
to  1836  ;  Daniel  Wheelook,  from  1836  to  1838  ;  William 
Spencer,  from  1838  to  1847  ;  when,  by  vote  of  the  cor- 
poration, the  house  and  lot  were  sold  to  the  school  dis- 
trict for  $800.  The  first  teacher  who  taught  in  the 
building  was  Samuel  Briggs.  Peter  D.  Healy,  who  be- 
came one  of  the  veteran  teachers  of  the  town,  taught 
here  in  1829-30,  followed  by  a  succession  to  the  present 
time.  The  central  portion  of  the  present  building  is 
the  old  part,  to  which  additions  have  since  been  made,  in 
both  its  rear  and  front,  as  the  increasing  wants  of  the 
district  have  demanded.  From  1827,  as  long  as  the  ne- 
cessities of  the  parties  required,  the  house  was  also  used 
for  religious  meetings  by  the  several  religious  sects  in 
rotation.  Elder  Tatem,  a  General  Baptist,  preached 
once  a  month,  until  his  meeting  house  was  erected,  in 
1829.  Elder  Charles  Weaver,  a  Calvanist  Baptist,  took 
his  turn;  also,  the  Methodist  circuit  preachers,  and  El- 
der Thomas  Tillinghast  divided  a  monthly  Sabbath  be- 
tween this  house  and  the  Arkwright  school-house. 

The  year  1841  is  remembered  by  many  as  a  season  of 
unusual  religious  interest  in  the  churches  of  this  village. 
Rev.  Jonathan  Brayton,  having  concluded  his  studies  at 
Madison  University,  after  conferring  with  Wm.  B. 
Spencer,  Esq.,  who  heartily  iavored  the  project,  com- 
menced preaching  early  in  the  year  in  the  school-house, 
where  an  audience  of  thirteen  persons  listened  to  his  in- 
structions at  the  first  meeting.  In  the  course  of  a  few 
weeks,  the  interest  increasing,  it  was  decided  to  hold  a 
protracted  meeting.  Elder  John  H.  Baker,  who  died  a 
few  years  ago,  ripe  in  years  and  in  goodness,  came  and 
assisted  in  the  meetings.  They  held  their  meetings  for 
two  weeks  in  the  old  Tatem  meeting-house,  by  courtesy 
of  the  Methodist  church,  which  had  then  the  control  of  it, 


220 


HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


but  afterwards  they  returned  to  the  school-house.  The  in- 
terest continued  through  the  year,  and  resulted  in  gener- 
ous accessions  to  the  membership  of  the  Methodist  church, 
and  also  in  the  organization  of  the  present  Baptist  church, 
in  the  following  winter.  The  recognition  services  of 
the  new  church  were  held  in  the  old  Tatem  meeting- 
house, which  was  subsequently  purchased  by  the  Meth- 
odists. About  the  time  that  Elder  Brayton  commenced 
preaching  here,  Rev.  Abraham  Norwood,  a  minister  of 
the  Universalist  denomination,  removed  from  Fall  River 
and  commenced  preaching  in  the  place,  and  dwelt,  as  he 
said,  in  "  his  own  hired  house  in  the  wilderness,  far  re- 
mote, being  distant  three  Sabbath  da_ys  journey,  i.  e., 
about  three  miles — as  thou  goest  by  the  way  of  the 
wilderness,  into  the  land  of  Scituate."  A  religious 
war  soon  broke  out  between  the  elders  and  their 
adherents,  the  particulars  of  which  it  is  not  necessary 
to  give  here  in  detail.  Mr.  Norwood  in  the  course 
of  a  year  removed  to  Canton,  Mass  ,  the  boyhood  home 
of  the  writer,  where  he  published  a  small  volume  giving 
an  account  of  his  Phenix  experience  from  his  point  of 
view.  The  book  is  entitled  :  "  The  Acts  of  the  Elders, 
or  the  Book  of  Abraham."  It  is  written  in  the  Scrip- 
tural style  with  chapters  and  short  verses,  with  a  lengthy 
but  witty  preface.  As  an  evidence  of  his  ready  wit,  the 
following  note,  which  the  author  appends  to  one  of  his 
verses,  is  given  respecting  his  means  of  subsistence: 
"  At  a  public  meeting,  Abraham  was  requested  to  give 
notice,  that  there  would  be  a  society  meeting  at  a  certain 
time,  which  he  did.  Immediately,  a  worthy  brother 
arose  and  said,  'it  is  proper  for  me  to  say  a  word  about 
the  meeting  just  appointed.  It  is  thought  by  some  that 
brother  Abraham  has  too  large  a  salary,  and  this  meeting 
is  called,  to  see  if  the  society  will  vote  to  reduce  it.  He 
has  labored  since  he  has  been  among  us,  for  bread  and 
water ;  and  it  is  proposed  that  one  or  the  other  of  these 
should  be  struck  off,  and  it  is  for  the  society  to  say 
which.'  When  he  sat  down,  Abraham  arose  and  hu- 
morously entreated  them  to  spare  the  water,  whatever 


PHBNIX.  221 

else  they  might  see  fit  to  take  away.  He  would  say 
nothing  against  their  stopping  his  allowance  of  bread ; 
but  as  he  was  a  cold  water  man,  that  article  was  indis- 
pensable." The  book  acknowledges  in  an  amiable  way 
that  he  was  accustomed  to  go  into  the  revival  meetings, 
and  take  out  a  note  book,  which  he  called  the  "  Book  of 
Remembrance,,'  and  take  down  whatever  fell  from  the 
lips  of  the  speakers,  for  the  purpose  of  opposing  them, 
and  bringing  them  into  ridicule,  and  of  attempting  to 
speak  in  the  meetings  where  he  knew  his  words  would 
not  prove  acceptable.  The  book  is  a  caricature  of  the 
revival  meetings  and  those  interested  in  them,  and  was 
destined,  as  it  deserved,  to  have  but  little  influence  in  the 
community. 

On  the  21st  of  November,  1855,  a  destructive  fire 
broke  out  in  the  village,  which  consumed  Spencer's 
Block  together  with  an  adjoining  building  used  as  a 
hardware  store  and  tin  shop,  and  also  a  dwelling  house 
belonging  to  Mrs.  Remington.  Mr.  Spencer  rebuilt  his 
block  immediately,  and  with  such  expedition  that  it  was 
occupied  in  the  January  following.  On  May  24,  1871, 
the  fiery  demon  again  visited  the  place  with  still  more 
destructive  force,  and  at  this  time  destroyed  the  new 
Block  and  eleven  other  buildings,  including  the  Bank 
building  and  two  hotels.  The  following  account  of  this 
fire  is  from  the  Providence  Journal,  published  a  day  or 
or  two  afterwards  : — 

"  About  a  quarter  past  five  o'clock,  Wednesday  morning, 
fire  was  discovered  in  the  upper  part  of  a  building  owned  by 
Mr.  William  B.  Spencer,  known  as  Spencer's  New  Block,  in 
this  village.  The  fire  very  quickly  burst  through  the  roof,  and 
the  burning  pieces  falling  to  the  ground,  the  whole  building 
was  soon  enveloped  in  flames,  and  the  fire  spread  with  great 
rapidity,  although  there  was  scarcely  any  wind  at  the  time. 
Spencer's  Block  was  soon  burned  to  the  ground.  It  was  occu- 
pied by  Mr.  James  J.  Smith,  for  a  hardware  store.  Mr.  Smith 
estimates  his  loss  at  about  $10,000;  insured  for  $4,500— $2,000 
in  the  Hope  Insurance  Company,  of  Providence,  and  $2,500  in 
the  Mechanics  and  Farmers  Mutual  Insurance  Company,  of 
Worcester.  Mr.  James  P.  Arnold  had  a  store  on  the  first  floor, 
and  nearly  the  whole  of  the  second  story  for  his  undertaking 

*19 


222  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK 


and  furniture  business.  He  estimates  his  loss  at  about  $8,000; 
insured  tor  $5.00U — $3,500  in  the  Narragansett,  of  Providence, 
aud  $1,500  in  the  Lamar,  ot  New  York,  on  his  stock  and  tools. 
Mr.  Nathan  A.  Capron's  bakery  was  in  this  building,  and  was 
almost  a  total  loss. 

Mr.  Edwin  T.  Lanphear  had  a  job  printing  establishment 
on  the  third  floor,  and  his  office  on  the  second.  His  loss  is 
about  $6,400;  insured  for  $4,200 — 1,500  in  the  Narragansett, 
and  $1,500  in  American  offices  in  this  city.  Mr.  Ira  O.  Seamans 
had  a  law  office  and  also  Card's  Orchestra  a  room  in  the  block. 
Hardly  fifty  dollars  worth  of  goods  was  saved  from  this  build- 
ing. A  two  story  building  in  the  rear,  owned  by  Mr.  Spencer, 
and  occupied  by  Mr.  Arnold  as  a  coffin  shop  and  Mr.  Smith  as 
a  tin  shop,  was  also  destroyed.  The  three  story  bank  building, 
owned  by  Mr.  William  B.  Spencer,  was  entirely  destroyed.  It 
was  occupied  by  Messrs.  Joseph  Merrick  &  Son,  groceries  and 
dry  goods,  whose  loss  is  about  $3,500;  insured  for  $3,000  at 
Narragansett  office.  Mr.  Otis  Lincoln,  boot  and  shoe  store,  no 
insurance;  the  post  office,  Mr.  William  Johnson,  Postmaster, 
who  also  kept  a  restaurant;  Messrs.  Capwell  &  Arnold, 
apothecary  store,  partial  loss;  insured  for  $2,500  at  the  City 
Insurance-  Company  of  this  city;  Mr.  Sterry  Y.  Chase,  clothiug 
store,  goods  mostly  saved;  Mr.  William  H.  Snow,  tailor;  Mr. 
Angell,  watches;  Mr.  Henry  Potter,  millinery  store,  goods  par- 
tially saved ;  Dr.  Alexander  S.  Knox,  dentist;  Miss  Sophia  Snow, 
school;  and  the  Phenix  National  Bank,  whose  valuables  were 
saved.  The  Phenix  Hotel,  owned  and  kept  by  Mr.  Rhodes 
Andrews,  was  entirely  destroyed  with  the  outbuildings;  insured 
at  Sarle's  agency  in  the  Norwich  Insurance  Company,  Nor- 
wich, Ct.,  $2,500  on  hotel  buildings  and  contents,  and  $1,000 
in  Tradesman's,  New  York,  office,  in  horses,  carriages  and 
contents  of  livery  stable. 

A  two  story  building,  situated  across  the  road  to  the  west, 
owned  by  Messrs.  Lawton  «fc  Colvin,  was  entirely  destroyed. 
Insured  by  D.  R.  Whittemore  in  the  Mechanics  and  Farmers 
Insurance*  Company,  Worcester,  for  $1,500.  It  was  occupied 
by  Mr.  John  Miller,  confectioner,  who  also  lived  up  stairs,  and 
by  Dr.  Colvin,  dentist,  who  were  not  insured.  A  liquor  shop 
next  to  the  last  mentioned  house,  kept  by  J.  C.  Conley,  was 
entirely  destroyed.  Insured  in  the  Narragansett  office  for 
$1,500.  A  three  story  block,  ownea  by  Mr.  Benjamin  C.  Harris, 
was  burned  to  the  ground.  It  was  occupied  by  Mr.  Joseph 
Lawton,  clothier,  whose  stock  was  mostly  saved;  insured  for 
$2,5U0  at  Mechanics  and  Farmers  office,  Worcester;  loss  about 
$500;  Mr.  Balmer  T.  Johnston,  meat  market;  J.  C.  Rose,  liquor 
store  and  billiard  saloon;  insured  at  Geo.  T.  Paine's  office  in 
National  Company,  Bangor.  Me.,  for  $1,000;  John  St.  John, 
barber;  insured  in  City  Insurance  Company,  of  this  city,  for 


PHENIX.  223 


$400;  and  the  Mechanics  Hall.  A  building  owned  by  Mr.  Ira 
O.  Seamans  and  situated  across  the  road  from  the  Phenix 
Hotel,  called  the  "  Roger  Williams  House,"  was  also  destroyed; 
insured  for  $2,500  in  the  Narragansett,  of  Providence.  Mr. 
Henry  C.  Shepard  kept  the  hotel,  and  was  insured  at  the 
Hope  office,  in  this  city,  for  $1,500  on  furniture  and  fixtures; 
and  Mr.  Ralph,  a  meat  market  in  the  building.  A  two  story 
dwelling  house  next  to  this,  owned  by  the  Lonsdale  Company, 
was  partly  destroyed.  It  was  occupied  by  Mrs.  John  Nicholas 
and  Sophia  Remington.  Mr.  Ira  O.  Seamans'  dwelling  house, 
occupied  by  himself,  was  partly  destroyed;  no  insurance.  A 
waste  house,  in  which  lumber  was  stored,  and  a  barn  occupied 
by  Mr.  N.  A.  Capron,  both  owned  by  Mr.  Spencer,  were 
destroyed. 

As  near  as  could  be  ascertained,  the  insurance  on  the  several 
buildings  owned  by  Mr.  Wm.  B.  Spencer,  which  were  a  total 
loss,  being  entirely  consumed,  is  as  follows:  Merchants,  $3,333; 
Roger  Williams,  $3,333;  Atlantic.  $2,500;  Equitable,  $5,000; 
Hope,  $1,200— all  of  this  city:  and  at  Turner  &  Armstrong's 
office  for  $2,500,  in  Metropolitan  Company,  New  York;  and 
for  $2,800  in  Westchester  Company,  New  Rochelle,  N".  Y., 
which  will  not  cover  the  loss.  Ralph  &  Irwin's  saloon  was  in- 
sured at  Westchester,  N.  Y.,  Company  for  $800. 

A  dwelling  and  grocery  store,  owned  and  occupied  by  Mr. 
Philip  Duffy,  caught  fire  several  times,  but  each  time  the  fire 
was  extinguished.  There  was  considerable  delay  in  getting 
water  on  the  fire,  and  the  buildings  burned  very  rapidly,  the 
fire  being  about  over  by  8  o'clock.  A  stream  of  water  from  the 
force  pump  of  a  mill  near  at  hand,  served  to  prevent  the  fur- 
ther spread  of  the  fire.  A  man  named  James  Parkinson  was 
very  severely  injured  by  the  fall  of  a  chimney  upon  him ;  at  noon 
there  was  some  hope  of  his  recovery. 

There  is  no  fire  engine  or  company  in  the  village.  If  there 
had  been,  a  large  amount  of  property  might  doubtless  have 
been  saved.  The  total  loss  is  estimated  at  from  $75,000  to 
$100,000.  The  origin  of  the  fire  is  unknown.  The  buildings 
were  very  rapidly  consumed,  and  soon  after  8  o'clock,  three 
hours  from  the  time  it  was  discovered,  the  whole  square 
showed  only  their  smoking  ruins.  It  must  be  a  heavy  loss  to 
the  thriving  village  of  Phenix,  but  one  which  its  public  spirit 
and  enterprise  will  doubtless  soon  repair." 

By  this  time  we  might  suppose  the  village  had  fairly 
earned  its  name,  and  the  bird  of  Egypt  would  be  satis- 
fied without  exacting  any  further  evidence  of  its  loyalty, 
but  it  proved  exorbitant  in  its  demands  and  on  March  5, 
1873,  required  a  further  sacrifice  of  several  buildings  in 


224 


HISTORY   OP    WARWICK. 


the  business  part  of  the  village.  The  fire  broke  out  in  a 
large  three  story  building  owned  by  John  Conly,  which 
was  entirely  consumed,  also  a  building  on  the  east  of 
this,  owned  by  Joseph  Lawton  and  A.  W.  Colvin,  and 
on  the  west  a  house  and  store  of  Philip  Duffy,  and  a 
barn  belonging  to  S.  E.  Card.  Thence,  crossing  to  the 
north  side  of  the  street  it  burnt  the  dwelling  house  of 
S.  E.  Card,  and  a  large  building  used  for  stores,  Masons' 
hall,  Phenix  National  Bank,  dentist's  offices,  and  other 
business  purposes,  also  owned  by  S.  E.  Card,  together 
with  a  large  brick  block,  belonging  to  Wm.  B.  Spencer, 
and  occupied  by  Nathan  A.  Capion  for  a  bakery,  E.  T. 
Lanphear,  printing  office,  N.  E.  and  S.  J.  Hoxie,  dry 
goods  store,  and  J.  P.  Arnold,  furniture  ware  rooms. 
Mr.  Spencer,  having  had  his  buildings  burned  three 
times,  declined  to  rebuild  again,  and  sold  the  land  on 
which  they  stood  with  the  ovens,  which  were  not  de- 
stroyed, to  Mr.  N.  A.  Capron,  who  erected  the  brick 
building  that  now  occupies  it.  Most  of  the  buildings 
have  since  been  replaced,  and  this  portion  of  the  village 
never  looked   more  thrifty  than  at  present. 

The  building  erected  by  Mr.  James  J.  Smith,  called 
Music  Hall,  containing  the  finest  hall  in  the  county,  the 
new  brick  building  occupied  by  Mr.  Joseph  Lawton  as  a 
clothing  house,  the  extensive  dry  goods  and  grocery  store 
of  the  Messrs.  Hoxie,  the  block  containing  the  post  office, 
and  the  large  building  across  the  river,  occupied  by  Mr. 
James  P.  Arnold,  in  the  furniture  business,  bear  testi- 
mony to  this  statement. 

Of  the  enterprise  of  its  inhabitants  we  need  not  speak 
further,  though  we  are  strongly  tempted  to  mention  one 
individual  to  whom  the  place  is  perhaps  more  indebted, 
than  to  any  other  single  person  for  its  attractive  appear- 
ance, both  as  regards  the  beauty  of  its  private  dwellings 
and  those  used  for  different  purposes. 

The  Phenix  Village  Bank  was  incorporated  in  1856. 
Capital  $50,000.  Wm.  B.  Spencer  was  elected  Presi- 
dent, and  H.  D.  Brown,  Cashier.  On  August  1st,  1865, 
it  was  changed   to  Phenix  National  Bank.     The  Phenix 


smifc^kmSm  ted  * 


LIPPITT.  225 


Savings  Bank,  chartered  in  1858,  had,  on  December  2, 
1872,  $285,636  36  credited  to  670  depositors. 

In  1847  Wm.  B.  Spencer,  Esq.,  completed  the  dwell- 
ing house  on  the  north  part  of  the  land  he  purchased  of 
Mr.  Levalley,  and  resided  in  it  until  June,  1868.  This 
dwelling  house,  which  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  vicinity, 
he  sold  to  Nathan  A.  Capron,  Esq.,  who  now  occupies 
it.  Mr.  Capron  has  carried  on  the  bakery  business  here 
many  years,  succeeding  James  Hackett  in  the  business. 
About  the  year  1847,  one  oven  of  moderate  dimensions 
was  all  that,  his  business  demanded.  In  1850  Mr. 
Spencer  erected  a  new  house,  with  two  larger  ovens, 
which  he  rented  to  Mr.  Capron  for  eighteen  years,  and 
in  1868  he  erected  three  large  ovens  near  the  centre  of 
the  village,  and  leased  them  to  the  same  individual.  On 
the  23d  of  April,  1858,  he  purchased  of  Cyrus  Harris 
thirty-five  acres  of  land  just  over  the  line  in  the  town  of 
Coventry,  which  was  formerly  a  part  of  the  Levalley 
estate,  and  devoted  about  twelve  acres  of  it  as  a  burial 
place,  known  as  the  Greenwood  Cemetery,  upon  which 
he  expended  two  years  of  labor  and  about  $10,000.  In 
1869-70  he  erected  the  spacious  and  beautiful  dwelling 
in  which  he  now  resides,  a  view  of  which  is  given  in  the 
engraving. 

LIPPITT   VILLAGE. 

The  early  possessors  of  the  land,  previous  to  the  erec- 
tion of  the  mills,  with  the  educational  and  religious 
items  pertaining  to  this  village  have  already  been  given 
in  connection  with  the  account  of  Phenix.  Besides  this 
the  history  of  the  village  is  nearly  identical  with  that 
of  the  manufacturing  company  organized  here  in  1809. 
On  November  9th,  of  that  year  a  co-partnership  was  en- 
tered into  between  Christopher  Lippitt,  of  Cranston, 
Charles  Lippitt,  of  Providence,  a  brother  of  Christopher, 
Benjamin  Aborn,  George  Jackson,  Amasa  and  William 
H.  Mason,  of  Providence,  to  continue  for  the  term  of 
ten  years  from  the  first  day  of  January,    1810.     The 


226  HISTOKY   OF   WARWICK. 


company  assumed  the  name  of  the  "  Lippitt  Manufactur- 
ing Company."  The  capital  stock  was  to  consist  of 
$40,000,  divided  into  thirty-two  shares,  of  which  the 
Lippitt  brothers  held  eight  shares  each  and  the  others 
four  shares  each.  They  agreed  that  until  the  "  whole 
amount  advanced  or  accumulated  by  profits  amounted 
to  the  sum  of  $40,000  no  dividend  should  be  made  with- 
out the  unanimous  consent  of  the  company." 

Two  daj's  after  the  organization  of  the  company,  Nov. 
11,  1809,  as  per  deed  of  that  date,  they  made  their  first 
purchase  of  land  on  which  to  commence  preliminary 
operations.  The  land  was  purchased  of  Nehemiah  At- 
wood,  and  was  bounded  in  part  as  follows  :  "  Beginning 
at  the  eastermost  corner  of  my  saw-mill  and  grist-mill 
house,  and  from  thence  running  north  forty-one  degrees 
east,  eight  rods  and  nineteen  links  to  the  high-way, 
westerly  on  an  open  log- way  for  the  use  of  said  saw-mill, 
thence  south  sixty-four  degrees  east,  three  rods  and 
eleven  links  on  said  high- way,  thence  north  fifty-five  de- 
grees east,  two  rods  on  said  highway,  thence  south, 
thirty-nine  degrees  east,  two  rods  on  said  highway, 
thence  north  sixty-five  degrees  east "  etc.  together  with 
the  privilege  of  drawing  water  from  the  said  Atwood's 
pond  above  the  saw-mill  and  grist-mill  in  such  quanti- 
ties as  will  be  sufficient  to  carry  two  thousand  spindles 
by  water  frames,  and  also  sufficient  for  the  use  of  a  forge 
or  trip  hammer  works."  The  consideration  was  the  sum 
of  $1600. 

On  the  24th  of  November,  two  weeks  after  their  pur- 
chase of  the  real  estate,  the  company  entered  into  an 
agreement  with  Hines  &  White  for  the  necessary  ma- 
chinery which  was  to  be  delivered  by  Sept.  30,  1810, 
and  for  which  they  agreed  to  pay   the  sum  of  $10,601. 

Before  the  accomplishment  of  the  work  the  firm  of 
Hines  &  White  dissolved,  and  a  new  contract  was  made 
with  White  alone  with  some  new  specifications.  While 
the  machinery  was  being  built  the  company  set  them- 
selves vigorously  at  work  to  get  the  mill  ready  for  its  re- 
ception.    The  busy  work  of  preparation  is  not  a  matter 


LIPPITT.  227 

of  record,  and  only  here  and  there  do  we  find  a  hint  of 
the  various  propositions,  and  suggestions  that  must  have 
been  made  before  the  matter  was  finally  settled  and  the 
workmen  set  about  the  erection  of  the  mill.  On  the  2d 
of  April,  1810,  Col.  Christopher  Lippitt,  one  of  the  firm, 
was  chosen  agent  of  t  the  company  for  one  year,  at  a 
salary  of  forty-two  dollars  per  month,  with  instructions 
to  engage  "  in  building  a  mill  or  mills,  building  dwelling- 
houses,  erecting  machinery  ":  etc.  From  this  item  on 
the  records  of  the  company,  still  preserved,  and  from  the 
fact  that  the  machinery  was  to  be  delivered  on  the  Sep- 
tember following,  we  infer  that  the  work  of  building  was 
prosecuted  vigorously,  though  it  does  not  appear  that 
the  mill  was  completed  until  the  following  year.  Subse- 
quent negotiations  with  those  who  were  building  the  ma- 
chinery, provided  that  the  company  should  not  be  obliged 
to  receive  the  machinery  at  the  time  that  was  originally 
agreed  upon.  The  tradition  is,  that  the  mill  was  ready 
for  raising  in  the  following  summer,  at  about  the  time 
the  Roger  Williams  mill  was  ready,  and  hy  extra  exer- 
tions on  the  part  of  those  having  it  in  charge,  they  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  it  up  before  the  other.  George  Burlin- 
game  erected  the  mill.  One  account  designates  the 
Fourth  of  July  as  the  exact  day,  when  the  people  in 
large  numbers  gathered  and  assisted  in  the  work,  and 
succeeded  not  only  in  raising  it,  but  also  in  boarding  it 
before  the  sun  went  down,  but  this  we  deem  somewhat 
conjectural.  It  was  at  first  designed  as  a  two-story 
building,  but  a  third  story  was  added  as  an  after-thought, 
and  when  power- looms  came  into  use  the  upper  story 
was  used  for  a  weave-room  until  a  better  place  was 
provided. 

Various  changes  took  place  among  the  stockholders  as 
the  years  rolled  on :  new  members  were  admitted  and 
old  ones  dropped  out.  The  first  addition  was  made 
when  Nehemiah  Atwood  took  a  share  of  stock  which 
he  held  but  a  short  time  and  then  re-conveyed  it  to  the 
company.  On  Feb.  11,  1811,  Roger  Alexander,  who  was 
a  practical  mechanic,  and  whose  knowledge  of  the  business 


228  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK. 


was  regarded  as  a  desirable  acquisition,  was  induced  to 
take  a  share  of  the  stock.  On  March  30,  1812,  Stephen 
Atwood,  son  of  Nehemiah,  sold  to  the  company 
"  one  undivided  half-part  of  a  certain  lot  of  land,  water 
privilege,  with  a  grist-mill  and  saw-mill  thereon  stand- 
ing, situate  in  said  Warwick  and  is  connected  with  said 
grantees  water  privilege,"  togethe'r  with  "  all  the  build- 
ings thereon  standing,  as  also  the  present  and  ancient 
rights  and  privileges  that  Anthony  A.  Rice  has  to  pass 
across  said  premises  ;  and  that  Caleb  Atwood  has  to  take 
water  out  of  the  trench  for  his  tan  vats ;  and  any  privilege 
Nehemiah  Atwood  may  have  granted  the  said  grantees 
heretofore."  The  consideration  was $850.  Caleb  Atwood's 
tan-yard  was  situated  on  the  site  of  the  present  Lippitt 
office.  This  office  building  was  used  as  a  store  for  many 
years.  There  was  a  foot  bridge  across  the  river,  the 
right  to  pass  over  which,  belonged  to  Anthony  A.  Rice. 

Oh  March  30,  1812,  Joanna  Atwood,  widow  of  Nehe- 
miah, in  consideration  of  the  sum  of  $300,  gave  to  the 
company  a  Quit  Claim  deed  of  all  her  right  "  in  and  to 
a  certain  tract  of  land,  water  privilege,  grist-mill  and 
saw-mill  thereon  standing,"  etc.  On  December  8,  1812, 
Christopher  Lippitt  sold  three  shares  of  his  stock  to 
Thomas  Brown,  of  Providence,  for  $5,100.  Mr.  Brown 
was  a  merchant,  unacquainted  with  manufacturing,  but 
a  sound  substantial  man.  He  was  the  father  of  the 
present  Col.  Wm.  H.  Brown,  of  the  Providence  Light 
Infantry.  Roger  Alexander  went  out  of  the  company, 
Dec.  12,  1812,  selling  his  share  of  stock  for  $1535,  and 
Benjamin  Aborn  sold  out  to  George  Jackson,  Jan.  5, 
1817,  his  share  for  $1700.  Thomas  Eddy  was  agent  of 
the  concern  for  the  }^ear  1813,  and  so  well  satisfied  were 
the  company  with  his  labors  that  they  presented  him 
with  a  gratuity  of  $100  at  the  close  of  the  year. 

The  war  of  1812  had  so  depressed  the  cotton  business 
that  in  1813,  every  cotton  mill  in  Rhode  Island  was 
obliged  to  suspend  operations,  with  the  exception  of  the 
Lippitt  mills  and  the  one  run  by  Dexter  Thurber,  of 
Providence.     Dexter  Thurber's   mill   was  not  large,  but 


LIPPITT.  229 


his  goods  had  acquired  such  a  reputation  that  he  was 
able  to  continue  operations,  while  his  less  fortuDate  fel- 
low manufacturers  were  obliged  to  shut  down  their 
gates.  The  Lippitt  company  at  the  time  had  a  contract 
with  the  Vermont  State  Prison,  where  a  large  amount 
of  the  yarn  was  woven  by  hand-looms.  As  an  evidence 
of  the  excellent  quality  of  the  yarns  furnished  the 
weavers,  it  is  said  that  one  of  the  weavers  in  the  prison, 
in  a  single  day  wove  on  his  hand-loom  fifty-six  yards. 
But  when  he  had  finished  he  was  so  exhausted  that  he 
had  to  be  taken  out  of  his  loom.  The  company,  how- 
ever felt  the  depression  of  the  times  and  were  obliged  to 
stop  a  portion  of  its  machinery,  and  reduce  the  wages  of 
the  operatives  fifty  per  ct.  They  however  voted  to  keep 
"  the  water-frames  and  throstle  frames  in  operation." 
The  water-frames  made  the  warps,  and  the  throstle 
frames  the  filling. 

On  January  21,  1821,  the  company  re-organized  and 
a  co-partnership  consisting  of  the  same  owners  as  the 
old  company  was  formed,  to  continue  for  twenty  years. 
The  company  declared  its  fourth  dividend  of  $6000,  or 
$200  per  share,  on  June  25,  1821.  The  number  of 
shares  had  been  reduced  from  thirty-two  to  thirty.  On 
Jan.  4,  1822,  the  company  engaged  Aborn  &  Jackson 
and  Simon  Henry  Greene  as  their  agents. 

In  1825,  in  consequence  of  the  death  of  Col.  Christo- 
pher Lippitt,  who  died  the  year  previous,  his  two  shares 
in  the  stock  of  the  company  descended  by  will  to  his  sons 
Christopher  and  William.*  Further  additions  to  the  real 
estate  of  the  company  were  made  in  1824,  by  purchase 
from  Caleb  Atwood  and  another  from  Samuel  Budlong 
and  Rufus  Wakefield,  of  the  tract  called  the  new  privilege. 
The  profits  of  the  company  had  been  gradual,  and  up  to 
Sept.  26,  1826,  they  had  declared  dividends  to  the 
amount   of  $60,000. 

On  August  18,  1827,   the  water  privileges  were  sur- 


*  For  an  account  of  Col.  Christopher  Lippitt  and  the  Lippitt  family, 
see  pages  111 — 114. 

20 


230  HISTORY   OF  WARWICK. 


veyed  and  leveled  by  Benoni  Lockwood  "  to  ascertain 
the  power  of  water  or  amount  of  head  and  fall  each 
privilege  contained."  The  old  privilege  was  found  to 
have  a  fall  of  19  feet  9  in.  and  the  new  one  12  feet  1  in. 
"The  water  in  the  river  at  the  wading  place,  would  aver- 
age when  the  above  survey  was  made,  from  12  to  15 
inches  deep."  The  wading  place  was  about  one  hun- 
dred feet  north  of  where  the  railroad  crosses  the  river. 
On  December  5,  1826,  an  agreement  was  entered  into 
between  the  company  and  Messrs.  Christopher  Rhodes, 
Wm.  Rhodes  and  William  Sprague  with  regard  to  the 
height  that  the  latter  gentlemen  had  a  right  to  raise 
their  dam  at  Natick.  The  point  was  settled  by  a  mu- 
tual agreement  "that  a  hole  should  be  drilled,  and  an 
iron  plug  or  pin  be  inserted  in  a  rock  on  the  south  bank 
of  said  Pawtuxet  river,  being  in  one  of  the  first  highest 
clusters  of  rocks  above  the  bridge,  next  to  the  river  on 
the  up  stream  part  of  the  rocks,  within  a  few  feet  of  two 
small  walnut  trees,  and  about  30  rods  above  said  Natick 
dam,  at  a  place  where  a  grist  mill  formerly  stood."  The 
Natick  companies  had  attempted  to  increase  their  water- 
power  by  raising  their  dam  some  eighteen  inches,  before 
the  Lippitt  company  was  supposed  to  have  secured 
their  right  to  prevent  it.  A  law-suit  was  commenced, 
but  by  an  ingenious  manouvre  on  the  part  of  the  Natick 
proprietors,  the  matter  was  taken  out  of  the  courts  and 
settled  by  this  mutual  agreement. 

James  Essex,  a  popular,  energetic  man,  was  the 
superintendent  of  the  mills  several  years  before  his 
death  in  1826.  The  official  designation  of  those  in  im-# 
mediate  charge  of  the  works  had  previously  been  that' 
of  agent.  Several  of  the  sons  of  Mr.  Essex  are  engaged 
in  imporiant  positions  in  connection  with  cotton  manu- 
facturing, one  of  them  being  in  the  employ  of  Hon. 
Simon  Henry  Greene,  at  the  Clyde  Works.  The  next 
superintendent  after  Mr.  Essex,  was  Edmund  C.  Gould, 
who  had  previously  been  employed  in  the  mill  as  a  mule 
spinner.  Mr.  Gould  left  and  went  to  Scituate,  and  his 
place  was  taken  by  Leonard  Loveland.  In  1830  Mr. 
Loveland  was  engaged  in  the  mills  at  Crompton. 


LIPPITT.  231 


In  1833,  John  F.  Phillips  was  made  the  agent  of  the 
company  for  three  years.  Feb.  5,  of  the  same  year, 
George  Jackson,  one  of  the  company,  having  deceased, 
four  of  his  shares  were  conveyed  to  Charles  Lippitt,  for 
the  sum  of  $12,000.  His  one  remaining  share  was  sold 
Feb.  25,  1833,  to  Wm.  Lippitt  for  $3,000.  In  1838, 
Daniel  Wheelock  was  appointed  superintendent.  On 
May  18,  1841,  business  having  been  depressed  for  some 
time  previously,  the  company  made  their  dividend  of 
$6,000,  in  bleach  goods,  at  seven  cents  per  yard  for  32 
inch,  and  seven  and  a  half  cents  for  34  inch,  instead  of 
cash,  as  previously.  In  1842,  James  Caswell  was 
the  superintendent  and  Samuel  R.  Hopkins  had  special 
charge  of  the  accounts  and  the  store.  On  Dec.  10,  1843, 
Wm.  H.  Mason  conveyed  to  Charles  Lippitt,  four  and 
one  half  shares  for  the  sum  of  $8,775,  and  Thomas 
Brown,  on  Nov.  24,  1843,  conveyed  to  the  same,  two 
shares  for  $4,000.  On  the  decease  of  Charles  Lippitt, 
his  19£  shares  were  divided  among  his  six  children  as 
follows :  To  Warren  Lippitt,  Charles  Lippitt,  Julia  A., 
wife  of  Joseph  Sweet,  Sarah  W.  and  Penelope  Lippitt, 
and  Cornelia  A.  Andrews,  widow.  The  division  was 
made  Dec.  15,  1845. 

On  January  30,  1850,  a  meeting  of  the  company  was 
appointed,  to  elect  an  agent  in  the  place  of  Warren 
Lippitt,  deceased,  who  had  been  the  agent  for  the  thir- 
teen years  previous.  Warren  Lippitt  was  the  father  of 
the  present  Gov.  Henry  Lippitt.  There  were  present  at 
the  meeting  Charles  F.  Tillinghast,  Esq.,  who  represented 
,  6^-  shares  ;  Wm.  Lippitt,  who  represented  6  shares  ;  Levi 
C.  Eaton,  4  1-2  shares ;  George  Larned,  6  1-2  shares  ; 
Joseph  Sweet,  3  1-4  shares ;  Henry  Lippitt,  3  1-4  shares. 
No  election  was  made  at  this  meeting,  but  subsequently 
Christopher  Lippitt  was  chosen  the  agent.  On  Jan.  1st, 
1851,  the  whole  number  of  shares  was  reduced  to  twen- 
ty-four and  divided  among  the  stock  holders  in  propor- 
tion to  the  stock  each  then  held.  On  Dec.  15,  1852,  the 
company  was  re-organized  under  the  same  name  which 
it  had  held  from  the  beginning,  with  the  capital  stock  of 
$40,000  divided  into  400  shares  of  $100  each. 


232  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK. 


Since  then  various  changes  have  taken  place  in  the 
company.  The  property  passed  into  the  hands  of  Harris 
&  Lippitt  and  John  Lippitt ;  then  a  company  was  or- 
ganized under  a  charter  granted  by  the  General  Assem- 
bly, with  a  capital  stock  of  $40,000  and  400  shares,  with 
J.  Lippitt  as  President  and  C.  Lippitt  as  Treasurer,  and 
called  as  previously,  the  Lippitt  Mf'g  Co.  It  was  after- 
wards sold  out  to  a  new  firm  called  the  "Lippitt  Com- 
pany," and  composed  of  Stephen  Harris,  Henry  Howard, 
Christopher  and  John  Lippitt,  and  thus  exists  at  present. 
Mr.  Jeffrey  Davis  is  treasurer  and  Mr.  Albert  Knight 
superintendent.  There  are  two  mills  with  a  capacity  of 
10,000  spindles* 

On  the  15th  of  April,  1828,  the  company  leased  a 
certain  lot  of  land,  and  water  privilege  connected  there- 
with, lying  in  Warwick,  4k  to  Greene  &  Pike  for  the 
period  of  five  years,  from  the  1st  of  June,  1829,  they 
paying  an  annual  rent  therefor,  of  $300. — Therewere 
no  buildings  on  the  premises  leased,  but  the  Lippitt 
Company  agreed  to  erect  a  building  80  feet  by  40  feet, 
two  stones  high,  with  a  basement,  and  such  dwelling 
houses  and  other  buildings  as  would  be  necessary  to  ac- 
comodate the  help,  and  enable  Greene  &  Pike  to  carry 
on  the  bleaching  business.  The  latter  company  were  to 
pay  an  annual  rent  of  10  per  cent,  on  the  amount  so  ex- 
pended. On  the  22nd  of  the  following  January,  it  was 
ascertained  that  the  amount  expended  for  the  erection 
of  the  buildings,  amounted  to  the  sum  of  $6,110  85-100. 
The  property  of  which  the  foregoing  was  a  lease,  is  a 
part  of  the  Lippitt  estate,  called  "  the  new  privilege," 
which,  together  with  the  remainder  of  "  the  new 
privilege,"  was  sold  to  Greene  &  Pike,  as  per  deeds 
of  Sept.  27,  1831.  Simon  H.  Greene,  afterwards  added 
to  the  estate,  by  purchases  of  William  Wakefield  and 
Joseph  Wakefield,  in  1851,  and  of  Stephen  Harris,  in  the 
same  year ;  so  that  his  whole  estate  contained  about  48 
acres  of  land. 

*  Note.  My  acknowledgements  are  due  to  John  Lippitt,  Esq.,  for 
permission  to  examine  the  early  record  books  of  the  company  contain- 
ing the  principal  items  in  this  account. 


CLYDE   WORKS.  233 


CLYDE   WORKS. 

'•  The  estate  purchased  by  Greene  &  Pike  of  the  Lip- 
pitt  Mf'g  Co.,  in  1831,  has  on  it  the  lower-most  water- 
power  of  the  north  branch  of  the  Pawtuxet  river,  and 
was  only  accessible  at  the  time  of  purchase  by  a  drift 
way  through  the  Lippitt  village,  from  the  public  high- 
way. And  the  Greene  Manufacturing  Co.'s  estate  on 
the  south  branch  of  the  river,  was  the  lower-most  on 
that  stream,  and  similarly  situated,  as  to  being  isolated 
from  a  public  highway.  Doct.  Stephen  Harris  having 
the  control  of  the  latter  estate,  joined  with  Greene  & 
Pike  and  others  in  having  a  public  highway  lawfully 
laid  out,  and  in  building  it  to  the  acceptance  of  the 
town,  from  the  Lippitt  village  to  Greeneville  village 
(now  Riverpoint).     The  road  was  laid  out  Nov.  14, 1831. 

In  1832  or  33,  Greene  &  Pike  added  to  their  works 
business  buildings  and  tenements  to  enable  them  to  do 
an  increased  business,  and  to  add  variety  to  the  finish  of 
white  cotton  cloth,  they  erected  a  large  building  and 
put  in  four  sections  of  beetles.  They  also  put  in  a 
single  color  printing  machine,  and  built  a  small  dye- 
house,  to  make  blue  and  white  prints.  In  1839,  their 
bleachery  and  dry- sheds  were  burnt  attended  with  a 
heavy  loss.  In  1842,  the  dye-house  was  enlarged,  and 
the  production  of  blue  prints  increased  to  a  small  extent. 
This  year  Mr.  Pike  died.  The  surviving  partner  settled 
up  the  business  of  the  late  firm,  continuing  the  business 
at  the  same  time  under  a  lease.  In  1845,  he  purchased 
the  interest  in  the  estate  vested  in  the  heirs  of  his  de- 
ceased partner.  In  1846,  he  built  a  large  stone  dye 
house,  to  increase  the  production  of  blue  prints,  and 
added  another  printing  machine.  In  1848,  he  built 
another  stone  dye  house.  In  1853,  the  beetle  house 
building  and  the  small  dye  house  before  named  was 
burnt,  and  his  son  John  was  seiiously  injured  by  a  fall- 
ing chimney,  from  which  he  suffered  much  through  life. 

New  buildings  were  erected,  of  stone,  in  the  place  of 
those   destroyed.     Other  buildings  were    erected   from 

*20 


234  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK. 

time  to  time,  and  the  necessary  machinery  put  in,  so  that 
in  1870,  the  works  were  fitted  to  do  madder  and  other 
styles  of  prints  to  the  extent  of  seven  printing  machines. 

On  the  1st  of  May,  1870,  the  bleachery  and  white 
finishing  department  of  the  business  was  burnt.  The 
bleachery,  so  far  as  bleaching  for  printing  was  necessary, 
was  forthwith  rebuilt,  but  the  white  finishing  was  de- 
layed until  1873.  Other  additions  have  since  been  made 
at  different  times,  as  called  for,  quite  extensively  in 
1875,  to  improve  the  quality  of  the  work  and  to  cheapen 
its  cost." 

The  Pawtuxet  valley  railroad,  recently  completed, 
crossing  the  grounds  and  j^ard  of  the  works,  adds  greatly 
to  the  facilities  of  doing  business,  so  that  few  similar 
establishments  in  our  whole  country  possess  equal  advan- 
tages, having  also  a  good  water  power,  to  assist,  and  an 
abundant  supply  of  the  purest  of  water  for  the 
various  processes  of  bleaching  and  printing. 

Hon.  Simon  Henry  Greene,  from  whom  the  author 
has  received  the  items  respecting  this  village,  as  well  as 
many  pertaining  to  the  other  villages  adjacent,  is  the 
senior  member  of  the  firm,  and  is  now  in  the  77th  year 
of  his  age,  but  still  possesses  remarkable  vigor  both  of 
body  and  mind  for  one  of  his  years.  Associated  with 
him  in  business  are  four  of  his  five  sons,  viz.,  Edward  A, 
Henry  L.,  Christopher  R.  and  William  R.  Greene,  all  hav- 
ing long  experience  in  the  business.  Their  business  is  the 
making  of  prints,  popularly  known  as  "  Washington 
Prints,"  and  in  bleaching  and  finishing  white  cotton 
cloths. 

Francis  Clinton  Greene,  youngest  son  of  Hon.  Simon 
Henry  Greene,  and  great-grandson  of  Col.  Christopher 
Greene,  of  revolutionary  fame,  was  born  in  Warwick, 
June  23,  1842.  He  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the  2d  R.  I. 
Regiment,  being  then  in  the  19th  year  of  his  age.  On 
the  promotion  of  1st  Lieut.  Beriah  Brown  to  the  cap- 
taincy of  his  company,  young  Greene  was  elected  a  cor- 
poral. Captain  Brown  afterwards  appointed  him  to  be 
his  clerk.     In  the  famous  battle  of  Bull  Run,  July  21st, 


RIVER  POINT.  235 


1861,  he  was  wounded  by  a  musket  ball  in  the  left  leg, 
a  little  above  the  ankle,  both  bones  of  the  leg  being- 
fractured.  After  tying  for  several  hours  under  a  hay- 
stack, where  he  had  been  placed  by  friendly  hands,  his 
wound  was  dressed  by  Dr.  Rivers,  surgeon  of  the  1st  R. 
I.  Reg.,  and  he  was  removed  to  a  log  house  near  by. 
With  others,  he  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  and 
was  carried  to  Richmond  and  held  a  prisoner  for  six 
months.  He  was  released  January  17th,  1862,  and 
being  permanently  disabled,  was  honorably  discharged. 
"He  returned  to  his  home,  hoping  by  care  and  repose  to 
regain  his  health,  but  exposure  and  suffering  had  shat- 
tered his  constitution  and  planted  the  seed  of  fatal  dis- 
ease in  his  system.  "With  an  eager  desire  to  be  engaged 
in  active  employment,  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  where  ong 
of  his  brothers  still  resides,  and  entered  upon  business 
pursuits.  But  it  was  soon  manifest  that  his  strength 
was  inadequate  for  the  work.  Pulmonary  disease  mani- 
fested itself  and  compelled  him  again  to  seek  the  rest 
and  the  tender  care  of  his  father's  house."  There  he  re- 
mained until  he  died,  on  the  27th  of  December,  1865. 
He  was  a  young  man  of  much  promise,  upright  in  prin 
ciple,  affectionately  attached  to  his  friends,  and  univer- 
sally beloved  by  all  who  shared  his  acquaintance. 

RIVER    POINT. 

Like  all  the  villages  along  the  Pawtuxet  and  its  two 
main  branches,  River  Point  owes  its  prosperity  and  im- 
portance to  the  iacilities  the  water  power  has  afforded 
for  manufactuing  purposes.  The  two  principal  branches, 
known  as  the  north  and  the  south  branches  of  the  river, 
here  unite,  after  seeking  each  others  company  many  miles, 
and  proceed  henceforward  to  the  sea  together.  The 
south  branch,  west  of  the  village  of  Washington,  is 
known  as  Flat  river, — a  name  that  has  sometimes  been 
applied  to  the  whole  branch — and  is  formed  of  a  multi- 
tude of  small  brooks,  several  of  which  unite  near  Coven- 
try  Centre.      One    of    these    little     streams   rises   in 


236  HISTORY  OP   "WARWICK. 

southern  Foster,  near  what  is  called  Mt.  Vernon  ridge, 
and  another  issues  from  the  Quidnick  Reservoir.  The 
Flat  river  performs  various  little  services  as  it  passes 
along,  but  settles  down  to  hard  work  when  it  arrives  at 
Washington  village.  The  north  branch  has  its  rise  in  a 
score  of  little  rivulets  in  the  southern  part  of  Glocester, 
which  finally  unite  in  the  central  part  of  Scituate.  The 
united  stream  then  proceeds  on  its  way,  with  gradually 
augmented  power  until  it  unites  with  the  south  branch 
at  River  Point.  The  extreme  northwestern  rivulet  of 
the  north  branch  flows  from  the  Ponegansett  reservoir, 
in  Glocester,  which  in  the  course  of  a  couple  of  miles  re- 
ceives a  slight  accession  to  its  flow  from  a  little  stream 
that  rises  near  the  base  of  Mount  Hygiea.* 

The  union  of  the  two  principal  rivers  at  River  Point, 
undoubtedly  gave  origin  to  the  name  of  the  village,  and 
defied  all  subsequent  attempts  to  change  it.  The 
territory,  however,  was  early  described  as  lying 
within  "  the  forks  of  the  rivers,"  but  the  village  as  such, 
became  known  at  an  early  day  as  Frozen  Point,  or  as 
some  say,  Frozen  Pint.  It  was  known  by  the  one  or  the 
other  of  these  uncomfortable  names  until  about  the  year 
1852.  We  give  the  tradition  respecting  it  without 
vouching  for  its  authenticity.  Among  the  mechanics 
who  built  the  first  mill,  was  one  thirsty  soul,  who,  one 
night  after  quitting  his  work,  having  purchased  a  super- 
abundant supply  of  the  article  that  sometimes  cheers, 
and  generally  inebriates,  hid  a  bottle  of  it  for  future  use. 
On  returning  for  it  next  morning  he  found  the  contents 
frozen  solid  ;  it  was  a  pint  bottle,  and  was  exhibited  by 
the  owner  to  his  associates,  who  jestingly  designated  it 
as  the  "  frozen  pint,"  a  term  that  by  an  easy  transition 
finally  became  attached  to  the  village.  Many  years 
afterwards,  some  of  the  operatives  in  the  mill  attempted 


*  Hygiea,  or  Hygeia,  in  mythology,  was  the  Goddess  of  Health. 
The  name  was  given  to  the  hill  by  Dr.  Solomon  Drown,  whose  resi- 
dence was  near  it.  Dr  Drown  was  a  celebrated  physician  and  botanist, 
and  from  1811  to  1831  a  professor  in  Brown  University, 


RIVER   POINT.  237 


one  fourth  of  July,  to  re-christen  the  place  by  a  more 
euphonious  title,  but  with  poor  success.  Ascending  to 
the  top  of  the  mill,  one  of  them,  in  the  presence  of  the 
others  poured  a  demijohn-full  of  water  upon  the  roof 
and  proclaimed  in  a  loud  voice  "  I  name  thee  Greene- 
ville."  But  though  the  company  owning  the  village  has 
sailed  many  years  under  the  colors  of  the  "  Greene 
Manufacturing  Company,"  the  title  of  Greenville  as 
given  to  the  village,  was  not  ratified  by  popular  use, 
many,  continued  to  use  it,  while  others  still  clung  to  the 
old  name,  with  which  they  had  become  familiar.  The 
two  names  shared  the  honor  between  them  for  many 
years,  and  necessarily  produced  some  confusion  in  the 
minds  of  many,  especially  of  people  living  at  a  distance. 
In  1852,  another  and  more  successful  attempt  was  made 
to  change  the  name,  in  a  public  celebration,  arranged  by 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Goodenow,  then  pastor  of  the  village 
church,  the  result  of  which  was,  that  the  village  was 
thereafter  designated  as  River  Point.  The  new  name 
was  adopted  by  the  railroad  company  for  specifying  their 
depot  in  the  village,  and  the  Post  office,  when  established 
here,  was  so  designated,  so  that  the  name  bids  fair  to  re- 
main in  the  future  undisturbed. 

The  land  embraced  within  the  limits  of  the  present 
village  appears  to  have  been  owned,  previous  to  the  year 
1726,  by  Job  Greene,  father  of  Judge  Philip  Greene. 
Job  Greene  in  this  latter  year  (see  page  181)  gave  to 
his  son  Philip  278  acres  "lying  on  the  northwest  of  the 
south  branch  of  the  Pawtuxet,"  and  subsequently  in  his 
will  "  all  his  land  in  the  forks  of  the  Pawtuxet,"  &c. 
His  will  is  dated  1744. 

Judge  Philip  Greene  sold  to  Caleb  and  Nathan  Hatha- 
way,February  20, 1786,  "all  my  land  lying  and  being  in  the 
forks  of  the  river  in  Warwick  aforesaid ;  bounded  northerly 
on  the  north  branch  of  Pawtuxet  river ;  westerly  on  said 
river;  southerly  on  undivided  land  belonging  to  the 
Wecochaconet  farms,  and  easterly  on  the  south  branch 
of  Pawtuxet  river ;  containing  sixty-six  acres  and  100 
rods  be  the  same  more  or  less ;  also  two-fifths  and  one- 


238  HISTORY   OP   WARWICK. 


fourth  of  a  fifth  of  the  land  belonging  to  the  proprietors 
of  the  farms  called  the  Wecochaconet,  lying  on  the 
north  side  of  the  south  branch  of  said  river  and  yet  un- 
divided." In  the  old  plat  of  the  Wecochaconet  farms 
before  me  as  I  write  this,  which  is  a  copy  of  the  ancient 
plat  made  by  Joseph  Carder,  dated,  May  14,  1692,  the 
copy  having  been  made  by  John  Warner,  Dec.  21, 1721, 
this  undivided  part  is  marked  as  containing  17  acres  and 
12  rods,  or  perhaps  124  rods,  the  last  character  not 
being  distinct,  and  may  represent  a  figure  or  a  letter. 
The  north  line  ran  nearly  across  the  point  made  by  the 
two  rivers.  Had  the  line  continued  it  would  have 
touched  the  north  branch  at  the  point  where  two  or 
three  small  islands  are  designated  on  the  plat.  The 
land  within  the  forks  of  the  rivers  to  the  north-east  of 
this  tract  belonged  to  the  "  Natick  lands "  so  called, 
originally. 

Judge  Philip  Greene's  will  bears  the  date  of  April  7, 
1784.  After  disposing  of  his  homestead  farm,  together 
with  all  his  lands  "  to  the  eastward  of  the  line  called 
the  four  mile  line,  in  Warwick  "  to  his  son  William  he 
gave  to  his  grandson  Job,  son  of  Christopher,  his  land 
in  Coventry,  which  he  held  in  partnership  with  his 
brother  Daniel  Greene ;  also  to  his  grandsons,  Job  and 
Jeremiah,  brother  to  the  said  Job,  all  his  lands  in  the 
west  part  of  Warwick,  "  bounded  southerly  partly on 
land  of  said  Job  and  partly  on  a  highway,  westerly  on 
land  of  the  said  Christopher,  northerly  on  the  Levalley 
land  and  easterly  partly  on  the  south  branch  of  the 
Pawtuxet  river  and  partly  on  land  of  the  said  Job." 
Judge  Philip  Greene  died  April  10,  1791,  aged  86. 

"  In  1812,  Elisha  Warner,  one  of  the  heirs  of  the  Hath- 
aways,  sold  40  acres  and  half  of  a  house  to  Dr.  Stephen 
Harris  and  Dr.  Sylvester  Knight,  both  of  Centreville, 
for  $1625.  The  other  half  of  the  house  and  the  residue 
of  the  land  were  sold  by  the  heirs  of  Thomas  Hathaway 
at  eight  or  nine  different  periods,  from  1822  to  1830." 
The  old  Hathaway  house  is  still  standing,  and  is  the 
fourth  from  the  railroad  bridge  on  the  northwest  side  of 


RIVER   POINT.  23ft 


the  street  that  runs  along  by  the  railroad.     It   is  the 
most  ancient  house  in  that  vicinity. 

The  purchase  of  the  doctors  was  made  with  the  inten- 
tion of  laying  aside  their  professional  labors  and  en- 
gaging in  cotton  manufacturing.  A  company  was 
formed  the  following  year,  consisting  of  James  Greene* 
Dr.  Knight,  Dr.  Harris,  Resolved  Slack  and  Resolved 
Waterman,  and  a  mill  two  stories  high  and  sixty-five 
feet  long  was  at  once  commenced.  The  company  took 
the  title  of  '*  The  Greene  Manufacturing  Company,'* 
probably  out  of  compliment  to  one  of  the  firm,  who  per- 
haps furnished  a  good  share  of  the  capital.  Capt. 
James  Greene  was  the  father-in-law  of  Dr.  Harris  and 
was  one  of  the  original  owners  of  the  first  Centreville 
cotton  mill,  and  consequently  is  supposed  to  have  had 
some  knowledge  of  the  business.  The  cotton  manufac- 
turing business  at  this  time  was  in  its  infancy  in  this 
country,  and  every  step  taken,  was  slow  and  deliberate. 
"  The  small  quantity  of  machinery  started  at  first  by  this 
company,  viz. :  four  throstle  frames  and  two  mules  indi- 
cates with  what  deliberation  these  gentlemen  advanced. 
The  castings  were  furnished  by  a  distant  foundry  in 
Halifax,  Mass.,  to  which  place  Dr.  Harris  was  compelled 
to  go  several  times,  in  his  own  team,  (for  there  were  no 
public  conveyances)  before  the  newly  risen  mill  could  be 
prepared  for  operations."  During  the  depression  of 
1816,  this  establishment  shut  down  its  gates.  In  1817, 
Dr.  Knight  sold  his  share  to  Dr.  Harris.  The  mill  re- 
sumed operations  in  1818,  under  the  exclusive  adminis- 
tration of  Dr.  Harris.  About  this  time  he  put  in  eight 
looms.  During  a  freshet  in  1821-2  the  bulk-head  was 
swept  away  and  the  dam  and  the  foundation  of  the  mill 
somewhat  injured.  In  1827,  a  fire  broke  out  in  a  build- 
ing near  the  mill,  the  upper  room  of  which  was  used  as 
a  machine  shop,  and  the  lower  one  as  a  picker  room. 
The  damage  was  not  great  though  one  of  the  workmen 
named  Hill  was  badly  burned." 

Dr.  Harris  made  many   changes   and  improvements  as 
his  pecuniary   means   increased.     The  first  mill  was  en- 


240  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK 

larged  and  in  1836,  he  built  a  stone  mill  to  which  an  ad- 
dition was  subsequently  made.  Another  stone  mill  was 
built  in  1844,  and  greatly  enlarged  in  1855.  On  the 
death  of  the  Doctor  his  heirs  resumed  the  name  of  the 
Greene  Manufacturing  Company,  which  still  designates 
the  company.  The  total  fall  of  water  in  connection 
with  the  several  mills  is  about  30  feet.  The  number  of 
looms  in  the  three  mills  is  about  600.  Many  changes 
and  improvements  have  been  made  since  the  Doctor's 
death,  the  most  important  perhaps,  being  the  erection  of 
the  substantial  dam  and  the  addition  of  an  L  of  100  feet  to 
the  oldest  mill  a  few  years  ago.  The  present  company 
consist  of  the  four  surviving  children  of  the  Doctor, 
Messrs.  Cyrus,  Stephen,  Caleb  F.  Harris  and  their  half 
sister,  Airs.  Henry  J.  Smith.  Individual  members  of 
the  firm  are  also  interested  in  the  cotton  mills  at  Lippitt, 
Anthony  and  the  woolen  mill  at  Centre  ville. 

Dr.  Harris  was  born  in  Johnston,  R.  I..  Oct.  29,  1786. 
His  father's  name  was  Cyrus,  "son  of  Caleb,  son  of  Henry, 
son  of  Thomas,  son  of  Thomas,  son  of  Thomas. "  The  latter 
person  came  from  England  and  settled  in  Salem,  whence 
he  removed  to  Providence  about  the  year  1636-7,  and  was 
a  brother  of  William  Harris  who  figured  prominently  in 
early  colonial  times.  On  his  way  to  England  to  attend  to 
his  affairs,  the  ship  in  which  William  was  a  passenger  was 
captured  by  a  Barbary  Corsair,  and  he  aud  the  rest  of 
the  passengers  and  crew  were  taken  to  Algiers  and  sold 
as  slaves  (see  page  83).  Caleb  Harris,  the  grandfather 
of  Dr.  Stephen,  was  for  a  while  a  judge  of  one  of  the 
courts  of  Providence  county,  and  a  man  of  acknowledged 
ability.  The  Doctor  received  his  education  at  Wood- 
stock, Conn,  and  Brown  University,  though  the  death  of 
his  father  prevented  him  from  completing  his  course  at 
the  latter  institution.  He  studied  medicine  at  Dart- 
mouth College  and  with  Dr.  Fiske,  of  Scituate,  and  com- 
menced practice  in  Johnston  about  the  first  of  March, 
1808,  and  left  there  for  Coventry,  June  12th,  1809,  and 
settled  at  the  place  now  called  Qnidnick,  boarding  in  the 
family  of  Theodore  A.  Foster,  payiug  $2.50  per  week  for 
his  board  and  that  of  his  horse. 


BIVER   POINT.  241 


The  young  aspirant  for  medical  knowledge  went  to 
Dartmouth  College  on  horseback  in  company  with  the 
late  Dr.  Andrew  Harris,  of  Canterbury,  Conn.,  this  being 
the  chief  mode  of  taking  long  journies  at  the  time, 
though  the  "riding  chair"  was  used  to  some  extent. 
This  ancient  vehicle  was  in  shape  like  a  low  chair  with 
stuffed  arms  and  back,  suspended  between  two  wheels 
on  leather  braces.  It  was  the  rude  beginning  of  what 
has  since  been  changed  into  the  sulky,  chaise  and  phae- 
ton. The  Doctor  was  fond  of  a  good  horse,  and  when, 
on  his  father's  death,  he  found  himself  possessed  of  $300 
in  money  and  a  "gray  mare,"  as  his  portion  .of  the 
paternal  estate,  he  doubtless  felt  himself  as  completely 
provided  for  as  when,  in  subsequent  years,  his  worldly 
goods  had  increased  manifold.  The  gray  mare  subse- 
quently broke  her  leg,  while  under  the  saddle,  bearing 
Dr.  Knight,  who  was  using  her  at  one  time  while  Dr. 
Harris  was  away,  and  it  was  found  necessary  to  take  her 
life.  Dr.  Harris  married  Eliza  Greene,  a  daughter  of 
Capt.  James  Greene,  December  3,  1809. 

He  afterwards  removed  to  Centreville,  where  he  be- 
come associated  in  practice  with  the  late  Dr.  Sylvester 
Knight,  and  erected  a  building  near  the  bridge,  which  is 
still  standing,  in  which  not  only  drugs  and  medicines  were 
kept  for  use  in  their  own  practice,  but  were  dispensed  to 
neighboring  physicians,  as  they  were  wanted.  The}r  also 
kept  a  supply  of  groceries,  &c.  "  The  winters  of  1816, 
and  '  17  and  '  18,  he  spent  in  Savannah,  Ga.,  where  he  and 
Resolved  Waterman  established  a  commission  house. 
On  his  return  home  he  resumed  manufacturing.  He 
was  a  man  of  quick  apprehension,  observing  at  once 
everything  amiss  in  his  mills  while  passing  hurriedly 
through  them.  It  is  said,  he  once  put  a  shaving  into  an 
imperfect  joint,  in  the  presence  of  a  negligent  artizan, 
and  by  this  silent  reminder  administered  an  effective 
rebuke.  During  his  residence  in  Centreville  he  was  oue 
of  the  most  cheerful  and  agreeable  members  of  society. 
Mrs.  Harris,  his  wife,  died  xMarch  23,  1820.  In  1822, 
he  married  Maria,  the  daughter  of  Edward  Manton,  who 

21 


242  HISTORY  OF   "WARWICK. 

survived  him.  The  Doctor  died  October  10,  1858,  aged 
72.  The  tract  of  land  which  in  1798  was  taxed  for  $800, 
and  for  which  he  subsequently  paid  about  $2,500,  he 
saw  taxed  with  its  improvements,  before  he  died,  for 
$190,000."  Mr.  Rousmaniere  gives  the  following  es- 
timate of  his  character : — 

"  He  was  a  remarkable  man  in  some  respects.  He  was  as 
bold  in  larger  affairs  as  he  was  cautious  in  minutise.  His 
promise  was  slowly  given,  but  the  fulfillment  of  it,  however 
difficult,  was  so  faithful  as  to  be  proverbial.  He  was  practical 
but  progressive;  cautious  but  self-confident;  resolute  but  never 
infatuated.  He  was  a  lover  of  money  but  he  loved  truth  and 
integrity  as  aids  to  character,  as  well  as  money.  The  excite- 
ment of  business  stimulated  all  the  energies  of  his  body  and 
mind,  withdrawing  the  latter  from  a  profession  in  which  he 
must  have  been  distinguished,  and  taxing  the  former,  which 
was  naturally  feeble,  with  incessant  occupation.  The  objects 
of  his  ambition  were  commercial  and  he  fully  realized  them. 
He  was  beloved  in  private  and  respected  in  public.  He  con- 
formed to  the  ways  of  the  world,  and  never  attempted  to  set 
up  as  an  intrusive  reformer.  He  commenced  in  business  at 
the  same  time  with  other  young  men.  While  he  was  slowly 
tunnelling  the  high  obstacles  that  seemed  to  block  up  the  path- 
way to  fortune,  they  ascended  the  eminence  by  successive  leaps. 
While  he  was  not  heard  of  for  a  few  years  outside  of  a  circle  of 
cautious  business  men,  they  were  spoken  of,  as  prodigies  of 
mercantile  talent  and  genius.  While  he  planted  the  seeds  of 
his  skill  in  a  tract  of  land,  taxed  in  1798  for  $800  and  for  which 
he  paid  about  $2,500,  and  which  now,  through  his  mental 
alchemy  is  taxed  for  $190,000,  they,  in  the  meantime  outlived 
their  enchanted  prospects,  saw  the  sun  of  their  youth  go  down 
in  clouds  in  their  old  age,  their  wealth  scattered  like  an  ex- 
ploded meteor  and  their  influence  utterly  blighted." 

The  venerable  Resolved  Waterman,  now  of  Provi- 
dence, is  the  only  one  of  the  original  firm  that  com- 
menced the  manufacturing  business  in  this  village  who 
is  now  living.  In  early  life  he  was  a  clerk  at  Centreville, 
and  gradually  rose,  by  his  industry  and  integrity,  to  a 
position  of  importance  among  the  business  men  of  the 
State.  He  was  of  an  affable,  genial  disposition,  upright 
and  honest  in  character,  and  commanded  the  respect  and 
affection  of  those  with  whom  he  associated.  He  married 
the  daughter  of  Dea.  Cady,  of  Centerville,  by  whom  he 


RIVER   POINT.  243 


had  several  children.  He  contributed  largely  to  the 
building  of  Grace  Church,  Providence,  and  was  inter- 
ested in  other  worthy  objects. 

To  the  north  of  the  present  railroad  depot,  across  the 
river,  is  a  steep  rocky  hill-side,  somewhat  in  the  form  of 
a  horse-shoe,  that  was  known  in  early  times  as  the 
"  Horse  Pound."  The  tradition  is,  that  the  Indians  were 
accustomed  to  drive  the  wild  horses  into  the  enclosure, 
formed  partly  by  these  precipitous  bluffs,  and  thus  secure 
them. 

In  1849,  a  church  of  the  Congregational  order  was 
formed.  The  meeting  house  was  erected  by  Dr.  Stephen 
Harris,  at  his  sole  expense.  The  house  was  built  by 
George  W.  Ham,  at  a  cost,  above  the  foundations,  of 
$3,350.  A  school-house  had  been  standing  many  years 
previous  on  the  lot  adjoining,  and  still  continues  in  ser- 
vice, though  an  addition  has  since  been  made  to  it.  To 
the  south  of  the  school-house  stood  the  armory  of  the 
Rhode  Island  Guards,  a  building  that  was  subsequently 
removed,  and  by  enlargements  and  improvements,  has 
become  known  as  Odd  Fellows  Hall.  The  Rhode 
Island  Guards  were  chartered  about  the  year  1844. 
On  the  fourth  of  July  of  that  year,  an  entertainment 
was  given  to  the  company,  and  their  invited  guests,  the 
Kentish  Guards,  and  a  large  company,  assembled  in  a 
grove  near  the  present  railroad  depot.  The  tables  were 
set  under  an  arbor  at  the  edge  of  the  grove.  The  "  Dorr 
Rebellion  "  and  the  various  political  questions  growing 
out  of  it,  were  fresh  in  the  minds  of  the  people,  and  the 
"liberty  men  ''and  the  "law  and  order  party"  had 
hardly  settled  down  in  acquiescence  with  the  results  of 
the  struggle.  As  an  illustration  of  the  generally  dis- 
turbed condition  of  the  town  during  the  "  war,"  it  is 
said  that  a  man  by  the  name  of  Congdon  ran  to  the 
woods  for  personal  safety,  but  finally  returned  to  his 
home,  saying  that  the  woods  were  full  of  people  and  he 
could'nt  get  in.  The  occurrence  of  our  national  birth- 
day, and  the  gathering  of  so  large  a  company,  afforded 
an  excellent  opportunity  to  give  judicious  instructions  to 


244  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

the  opposing  parties,  and  to  aid  in  bringing  them  again 
into  harmonv  and  peace.  The  orator  of  the  day  was 
Hon.  Simon  Henry  Greene,  from  whose  excellent  written 
address  we  make  the  following  extracts : 

"Political  improvement  must  go  hand  in  hand  with  religious 
regeneration,  and  must  be  gradual  and  slow,  inasmuch  as 
doubts  will  often  arise,  whether  any  improvement  is  taking 
place.  Taking  a  retrospective  view  of  the  political  institutions  of 
our  own  times,  we  see  that  the  courses  and  policy  pursued, 
have  been  extremely  devious  and  vacillating,  sometimes  ad- 
vancing, and  sometimes  receding;  the  people  are  often  vio- 
lently excited,  and  sometimes  on  the  verge  of  revolution.  Men 
intrusted  with  political  power,  and  those  aspiring  to  acquire  it, 
who  cherish  and  defend  fallacious  opinions,  and  who  are 
moved  by  such  influences  and  suggestions,  will  act  with  a  cer- 
tain tendency  toward  the  production  of  mischievous  conse- 
quences. It  is  011I3'  in  proportion  as  sound  opinions,  based  on 
true  and  immutable  principles,  are  acknowledged  as  of  supreme 
authority  that  mischief  is  prevented.  We  have  recently  seen 
this  idea  illustrated  iu  a  striking  degree,  in  our  own  State  of 
of  Rhode  Island.  *****  Freedom  itself,  is  subject  to  law 
and  order,  or  it  becomes  licentiousness  and  disorder.  *  *  * 
Military  power  should  be  seldom  and  judiciously  used;  rigid, 
prompt,  and  effective  as  it  must  be,  to  be  valuable,  it  is  dan- 
gerous to  provoke  its  exercise;  those  entrusted  with  it  should 
ever  remember,  that  its  power  should  be  conservative,  and 
that  its  legitimate  functions  are  limited  to  the  maintainauce  of 
freedom  of  law  and  order." 

The  Pawtuxet  Valley  Railroad  was  so  far  completed 
that  it  was  opened  for  general  business  in  September, 
1874.  The  road  commences  at  the  depot  in  this  village, 
thence  passes  through  Clyde,  Lippitt,  Phenix,  Harris- 
ville  to  Hope,  a  distance  of  about  three  and  one-fifth 
miles.  It  was  a  very  expensive  road  to  construct,  on  ac- 
count of  numerous  bridges,  with  their  costly  abut- 
ments. The  road  at  present  is  leased  to  the  trustees  of 
the  Hartford,  Providence  and  Fishkill  Company,  who 
equip  it,  run  it,  keep  it  in  repair,  and  pay  over  to  the 
stockholders  of  the  Pawtuxet  Valley  Railroad  Company 
a  fixed  percentage  of  the  gross  profits. 


NATICK.  245 


NATICK. 

Natick,  or  Natchick,  as  it  was  sometimes  spelt  in  early- 
times,  is  an  Indian  name,  and  signifies  "  a  place  of 
hills."*  The  territory  to  which  it  applied  at  the  division 
of  lands  in  1673,  and  the  names  of  its  early  possessors, 
have  been  given  in  the  account  of  Phenix  village.  The 
extensive  range  of  elevated  land  that  shuts  in  the 
Pawtuxet  valley  for  several  miles  up-stream  from  this 
village,  suggests  not  only  the  appropriateness  of  the 
term  as  applied  to  the  tract  designated  as  "  Natick 
lands,"  in  the  ancient  plat,  but  also  the  probability  that 
it  embraced  in  the  aboriginal  mind,  a  considerable  portion 
of  territory  on  the  west  bank  of  the  north  branch  of 
the  Pawtuxet,  reaching  as  far  as  Hope  village,  and 
perhaps  the  hilly  regions  beyond.  The  portion  of  the 
"  Natick  lands  "  included  in  the  present  village  was  on 
the  north  side  of  the  river.  On  the  south  side  were 
the  Wecochaconet  farms,  referred  to  on  page  88,  the 
northeastern  one,  embracing  some  400  acres,  which  in- 
cluded all  or  nearly  all  the  territory  on  the  south  side 
of  the  river  now  embraced  in  the  present  school  district 
of  this  village,  fell  to  the  lot  of  Randall  Holden. 

When  the  Natick  lands  were  assigned  by  the  Warwick 
proprietors  to  their  five  associates  in  1673,  they  were  un- 
divided. On  Dec.  9,  1674,  the  five  owners  of  the  tract 
divided  it  among  themselves,  and  under  this  latter  date 
we  find  the  following  entry  on  the  proprietors'  records : 

"  We  the  proprietors  of  Natick  lands  that  lyeth  one  ye  north 
side  of  Pawtuxet  river  in  ye  colony  of  Khode  Island  and 
Providence  Plantations,  have  laid  out  five  lotts;  th  it  is  to  say; 
they  lye  in  one  range,  in  manner  and  forme  aforesaide,  as 
followeth  :  the  north  ends  of  them  bounded  by  the  west  lyne 
of  the  grand  purchase  of  the  Mishawomet  plantation;  and  the 
south  ends  of  these  lotts,  bounded  by  the  northern-most 
branch  of  Patuxet  river:      The   first  lott  lyeth  near  range 


*  Drake's  North  American  Indians,  p.  178. 
*21 


246  HISTORY  OF  "WARWICK. 


rock,  so  called,  in  ye   northeast  corner,  bounded  by  a  small 
black  oak;  from  thence  southerly  to  a  small  black  oak." 

Such   land- marks  as  these  two  small  black  oaks  were 
not  infrequent   at  the  time.     They  served   the   purpose, 
probably,  and  when  in  the  course  of  time  the  lands  were 
transferred  to  other  parties,  other  and  more  permanent 
bounds  may  have  been  designated.     The  original  proprie- 
tors of  the  land  on  both  sides  of  the  river  were  also  posses- 
sors of  territory  in  the  earlier  settled  portions  of  the  town, 
and  do  not  appear  to  have  resided   upon  these  tracts 
themselves,  but  continued  to  make  their  homes  in  Old 
Warwick.     In  the  course  of  the  following   century  the 
several  farms  had  been  cut  up  and  sold  to  various   par- 
ties.    In  June,  173H,  a  number  of  persons  li  concerned 
in  a  tract  of  land  situate  in  the  Grand  Purchase  of 
Warwick,  in  that  part  called  Natick,  near  fifty  years  past ; 
and  likewise  others  in  a  tract  of  land  called  Wecochaco- 
net,"  petitioned  for  a  highway  to  be  laid  out  through 
their  lands.     The  assembly  referred  the  matter  to  the 
Town  Council  of  Warwick,  who  were  authorized  to  act 
in  the  premises.     The  Council  failing  to  act,  the  matter 
was  again  laid  before  the  assembly  the  following  year. 
The    Council   refused  to  \ny  out  the  highway  "  unless 
the   proprietors   of  the  lands   through   which   the   said 
wav  should  go,  would  be  at  all  the  cost  aud  charge  of  laying 
it  out,  and  allow  the  land  on  which  the  same  should  be 
laid  out,  which  conditions  were  not  in  the  power  of  the 
petitioners  to  perform."     The  assembly,  after  due  consid- 
eration, voted  "  that  from  the  house  of  Capt.  Rice,  in 
Warwick,  there  be  a  highway  laid  out  in  the  most  near 
and   convenient   manner   to   the   grist  mill,    commonly 
called   Edmonds'    Mill;    from   thence   westerly   to   the 
southeast  corner  of  the   town  of  Scituate,  at  or  near  the 
land    of     James    Colvin."       The     Town     Council    of 
Warwick  was  directed  to  issue  a  warrant  to  the  sheriff 
of  the  county  of  Providence  or  his  deputy  to  summon  a 
jury  to  lay  out  the  road,  the  charges  to  be  paid  out  of 
the  town  treasury. 

A  long  controversy  ensued,  and  in  1742,  the  General 


NATICK. 


247 


Assembly  appointed  a  committee  to  examine  and  report 
upon  the  matter.  This  committee  reported,  recommend- 
ing some  changes  in  the  course  that  had  been  previously 
suggested,  whereupon  the  Assembly  appointed  Stephen 
Hopkins,  John  Rhodes  and  Win.  Rice,  a  committee  to 
lay  out  the  road  according  to  the  foregoing  report. 
This  last  committee  reported  in  March,  1742,  presenting 
a  plat  of  the  road,  when  it  was  voted  "  that  said  plat 
and  report  thereon  made,  be  accepted,  and  that  said 
highway  continue  as  therein  laid  out  forever." 

Without  stopping  to   specify   many   of    the   various 
changes  that  had  taken  place  in   the  ownership   of  the 
lands  now  included  within  the  limits  of  the  village   and 
vicinity*,  lit  us  hasten  on  to  the  opening   of  the  present 
century,  when   Jonathan  Ellis,  son  of  Benjamin,  Win. 
Anthony    Holden,    son   of    Wm.    Holden,    and   Philip 
Arnold   were  among  the  principal  owners  of  the  terri- 
tory.    Benjamin    Ellis  lived  on  the  hill  on  the  old  road 
leading  to  Lippitt  village.     His  son  Jonathan  and  seve- 
ral sisters  inherited  their  father's  estate.     Jonathan  lived 
on  the  hill,  sometimes  called  "  Green  Hill,"  in  the  house 
occupied  now  by  Mrs.  Sheldon,  and  died  at  an  advanced 
age,  July  7,  1842.     William  Holden,  previous  to  the 
year  1771,  owned  a  grist  mill  on  the    south  side  of  the 
river,  just  above  the  present  iron  bridge.     The  old  trench 
way  may  still  be   seen  when  the   pond  is  drawn  down. 
In  1771,  the  General  Assembly  granted  him  a  lottery  kt  to 
raise  about  £50,  to  enable  him  to   repair  aud  secure  a 
dam  across  the  Pawtuxet  river,  which  had  been  carried 
away  by  a  flood  the  previous  winter."     Wm.   Anthony 
Holden,  son  of  the  former,  lived  in  the  house,  which  is 
still  standing,  situated  on  the  east  side  of  the  turnpike, 
near  by  Indigo  brook.     The  brook  was  so  called  from 
the  circumstance  that  Harvey  Arnold  had   upon  it  a 
small  building,  and  made  use  of  the  slight  water  power 
to  grind  indigo  for  coloring  purposes.     Wm.  Anthony 
Holden   died   April   24,    1854.     Previous   to   the   year 
1800,   there  appears  to  have  been  no  bridge  across  the 
river  at  this  place,  though  one   was  soon  after  erected, 


248  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK. 

and  in  1823,  a  new  one,  called  from  its  shape  the 
"  rainbow  bridge,"  was  built  upon  the  same  site.  The 
earliest  bridge  across  the  river  in  this  vicinity  was  the 
one  at  the  lower  part  of  the  village  in  connection  with 
the  ancient  highway  already  alluded  to. 

The  first  decade  of  the  present  century,  including  the 
two  or  three  years  that  followed  it,  was  a  noted  period 
in  the  history  of  this  town.  It  was  the  period  of  be- 
ginnings in  the  cotton  manufacturing  interests.  The 
mill  at  Centreville  had  been  built,  and  was  in  successful 
operation  previously ;  but  during  the  first  dozen  years 
of  the  present  century,  the  manufacture  of  cotton  yarn 
by  machinery  driven  by  water  power,  commenced  in 
Phenix,  Lippitt,  and  this  village.  In  1807,  four  me- 
chanics had  estimated  the  value  of  the  water  power  at 
Natick,  and  became  so  convinced  of  the  feasibility  of 
its  use  in  the  manufacture  of  cotton  to  their  advantage, 
that  they  at  once  concluded  to  venture  in  the  specu- 
lation. They  were  without  the  necessary  capital  upon 
which  to  commence  operations,  but  by  judicious  man- 
agement, succeeded  in  enlisting  others  in  their  enterprise. 
Their  names  were  Perez  Peck,  Peter  Cushman,  John 
AVhite  and  Joseph  Hines.  Peter  Cushman  was  sent  as 
a  messenger  to  Providence,  in  search  of  some  adven- 
turous merchant  who  had  money  at  command,  and 
induce  him  to  engage  with  them  in  the  proposed  enter- 
prise. On  his  way  to  Providence  the  messenger  met 
Capt.  William  Potter,  and  stated  his  errand.  Of  the 
persuasive  powers  of  Peter  Cushman  we  have  only  this 
evidence,  that  he  succeeded  on  the  spot  in  convincing 
the  Captain  of  the  feasibility  of  his  plan,  who  bade 
him  return  and  inform  his  associates  that  he  would  assist 
them.  A  company  was  very  soon  formed,  composed  of 
the  following  persons :  Adams  &  Lothrop,  Capt.  Wm. 
Potter  and  Charles  Potter,  of  Providence,  Christopher 
and  Wm.  Rhodes,  of  Pawtuxet,  Jonathan  Ellis,  of 
Natick,  and  the  four  mechanics  already  mentioned. 
Capt.  Potter,  in  1795,  was  one  of  the  owners  of  the 
Centreville  mill.  The  venerable  Perez  Peck,  of  Coventry, 


NATICK.  249 


still  vigorous  in  his  old  age,  and  as  straight  as  an  Indian 
arrow,  is  the  only  one  of  the  number  now  living,  and  is 
able  to  relate  with  evident  accuracy  the  various  impor- 
tant events  connected  with  this  early  period  of  his  active 
business  life. 

The  capital  of  the  company  amounted  to  $32,000, 
divided  into  thirty-two  shares  ;  of  which  Wm.  Potter 
held  eight  shares ;  Adams  &  Lothrop,  eight  shares ; 
Christopher  and  Wm.  Rhodes,  each  four  shares  ;  Chas. 
Potter  and  Jonathan  Ellis,  each  two  shares  ;  and  Perez 
Peck,  Joseph  Hines,  John  White  and  Peter  Cushman, 
each  one  share.  The  first  work  of  the  company  was  to 
secure  possession  of  the  necessary  real  estate,  including 
the  water  privilege.  Jonathan  Ellis  sold  to  them  in 
the  summer  of  1807,  a  tract  of  five  acres  on  the  north 
side  of  the  stream  for  $178,  and  George  Baker,  another 
tract  of  thirteen  acres  for  $535  80J.  "  Both  of  these 
lots  were  portions  of  a  farm  owned  several  years  previous 
by  a  family  of  Potters."  Wm.  Anthony  Holden,  who 
owned  the  bluff  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  it  is  said, 
generously  gave  the  portion  needed  by  the  company  to 
secure  the  water  power,  and  Philip  Arnold  made  the 
company  a  present  of  a  "  lot  near  the  bridge,  as  an  en- 
couragement and  assistance."  Philip  Arnold's  land  was 
lower  down  the  river,  by  the  ancient  bridge,  already  al- 
luded to. 

The  first  mill  was  built  in  the  autumn  of  1807,  and 
was  about  80  feet  long,  and  became  known  as  the 
Natick  Red  Mill  from  its  color.  It  stood  between  the 
present  No.  1  and  the  trench  way.  In  1836  this  mill 
was  removed  to  the  northward  on  the  flat,  and  converted 
into  tenements.  It  is  now  known  as  the  "  factory 
house."  The  four  mechanics  and  partners  alluded  to, 
were  put,  through  the  influence  of  Capt.  Potter,  into 
the  machine  shop  at  Centreville,  where  they  made  ma- 
chinery enough  to  start  the  Natick  Mill ;  then  they 
removed  their  tools  to  the  latter  establishment,  and 
finished  the  other  machines.  The  Red  Mill  was  started 
with  two  throstle  machines  of  eighty-four  spindles  each, 


250  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK 

and  two  mules  of  200  spindles  each.  Jonathan  Ellis 
was  the  first  agent.  "  The  company  not  merely  spun 
yarn  and  warp,  but  erecting  a  dye  house,  they  began  to 
dye  the  same  before  sending  it  to  market." 

"  The  machinery  in  the  Natlck  cotton  mill  was  pro- 
pelled by  a  tub  wheel,  (so  called  at  that  day,)  somewhat 
similar  to  the  iron  wheels  of  the  present  time.  The  one 
used  here  was  ten  feet  in  diameter  and  eighteen  inches 
in  depth,  with  floats  of  corresponding  depth,  with  a  curb 
above  it  of  greater  depth,  through  which  the  water  was 
conveyed  by  a  trunk  into  the  wheel.  It  was  made 
wholly  of  wood.  This  wheel,  while  it  required  a  larger 
amount  of  water  than  the  bucket  wheel  to  do  the  same 
work,  yet  it  possessed  the  advantage  of  acquiring  the 
desired  speed  with  a  less  amount  of  gearing."* 

Various  changes  took  place  previous  to  the  year  1815. 
Two  of  the  original  stockholders,  Perez  Peck  and  Peter 
Cushman,  had  sold  out  their  stock  as  early  as  the  summer 
of  1808.  In  July,  1815,  the  old  organization  was  super- 
ceded by  three  companies,  pne  of  which  was  known  as  the 
Rhodes  Natick  Company  ;  another  the  Natick  Turnpike 
Factory  Company,  and  the  third  as  Ellis,   Lothrop  & 


*  For  an  interesting  article  by  Perez  Peck,  of  Coventry,  (of  which 
the  above  is  an  extract,)  relating  to  the  early  manufacturing  interests 
of  Natick  and  other  places,  see  Annual  Report  of  the  "  Rhode  Island 
Society  for  the  Encouragement  of  Domestic  Iudustrv  "  for  tbe  year 
1865 

In  the  report  of  the  above  mentioned  society  for  the  year  18f>4,  a  list 
of  the  cotton  mills  in  this  State,  and  in  parts  of  the  adjoining  States  of 
Massachusetts  and  Connecticut,  with  the  number  of  spindles  of  each, 
in  November,  1815,  was  given.  The  list  was  presented  by  Samuel 
Greene.    The  following  is  the  list  for  Warwick: 

Warwick  Manufacturing  Company, . .. 2,700  spindles. 

Warwick  Spinning  Mill 780        " 

Providence   Manufacturing  Company 3,200        " 

Rhodes,  Harris  &  Smith 1,500        *' 

Riceville  Manufacturing  Company 300        " 

Utter  Manufacturing  Company 350        " 

Manchester  Manufacturing  Company 1,600        " 

Lippitt  Manufacturing  Company 2,500        '* 

Roger  Williams  Manufacturing  Company 1,500        " 

Tiffany  Manufacturing  Company 400        " 

Greene 780        " 

Total,  15,610 


NATICK.  251 


Co.  In  1821,  William  Sprague,  of  Cranston,  father  of 
the  "Old  Governor,"  purchased  one  mill  with  forty-two 
looms  and  1692  spindles,  and  another  furnished  with 
carding  and  spinning  machinery.  Both  these  mills  were 
painted  red  ;  the  latter  stood  near  the  present  grist  mill, 
and  was  removed  about  the  year  1830,  to  its  present 
position  on  the  turnpike,  and  converted  into  tenements. 
It  is  the  first  house  on  the  east  side  of  the  turnpike, 
next  to  the  bridge.  It  has  undergone  various  changes 
since,  and  lost  all  outward  resemblance  of  its  original 
form.  The  Messrs.  Rhodes  retained  one  mill,  which 
stood  about  where  the  south  end  of  the  present  number 
one  (New  Brick,)  now  stands,  and  was  about  80  feet  by 
30  feet,  with  thirty  looms  and  other  necessary  machinery 
for  making  cotton  cloth ;  also  a  grist  mill  and  several 
tenement  houses.  George  A.  Rhodes,  a  son  of  Gen. 
Christopher,  was  agent  until  his  death,  when  his  father 
took  charge  until  the  company  sold  out  to  the  Spragues. 
"  The  Messrs.  Rhodes  continued  to  own  about  half  the 
village  for  about  forty-five  years,  building  in  the  mean- 
time, in  1826,  a  stone  mill  100x41  feet.  On  Dec.  17, 
1852,  they  sold  out  to  the  Spragues  for  $55,000." 

Christopher  Rhodes  was  the  third  son  of  Robert 
Rhodes,  (born  April  5,  1743,)  and  Phebe  Smith,  (born 
Feb.  14, 1744.)  He  was  born  at  Pawtuxet,  (Warwick,) 
Aug.  16,  1776.  For  about  five  or  six  years  previous  to 
his  coming  of  age,  he  followed  the  coasting  business,  and 
afterwards  commenced  business  with  his  father  at  Paw- 
tuxet. His  store  was  the  old  homestead,  adjoining  the 
house  where  he  lived  most  of  his  life,  and  where  he  died. 
He  subsequently,  in  connectioii  with  his  brother  William, 
engaged  in  manufacturing,  about  a  mile  from  Pawtuxet, 
at  a  place  known  as  Bellefonte  Mill,  and  succeeded  so 
well  that  the  brothers  extended  their  business  to  Natick. 
At  a  late  period  the  Messrs.  Rhodes  became  the  owners 
of  manufacturing  establishments  in  Wickford  and  Albion 
villages.  In  May,  1809,  Mr.  Rhodes  was  elected  Briga- 
dier General  of  the  fourth  brigade  of  Rhode  Island 
militia.     From  May,  1828,  to  October,  1831,  he  repre- 


252  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK. 

sentecl  the  town  of  Warwick  in  the  General  Assembly. 
"  He  interested  himself,  at  an  early  period,  in  the  substi- 
tution of  penitentiary  punishments  in  place  of  the  whip- 
ping post  and  pillory."  In  October,  1835,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  General  Assembly  one  of  the  building 
committee  for  the  erection  of  the  State  Prison,  and  on 
its  completion  was  appointed  one  of  its  inspectors,  which, 
office  he  held  until  May,  1847.  Zachary  Rhodes,  the 
earliest  ancestor  of  the  family  in  this  country,  is  men- 
tioned in  a  letter  of  Roger  Williams  to  the  General  Court 
of  Magistrates  and  Deputies  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  dated 
15th  ninth  month,  1655,  in  which  he  says :  "  There  are 
but  two  families  which  are  so  obstructive  and  destructive 
to  an  equal  proceeding  of  civil  order  amongst  us ;  for 
one  of  these  four  families,  Stephen  Arnold  desires  to  be 
uniform  with  us  ;  a  second,  Zachary  Rhodes,  being  in 
the  way  of  dipping,  is  (potentially)  banished  by  you. 
The  others,  William  Arnold  and  William  Carpenter 
plead  that  all  the  obstacle  is  their  offending  of  your- 
selves." 

Zachary  Rhodes,  as  appears  by  his  will,  dated  April 
28,  1662,  left  a  wife  (Jane)  and  seven  children,  viz: 
Zachariah,  Malachi,  John  and  Peleg  ;  and  three  daugh- 
ters, Elizabeth,  Marcy  and  Rebecca.  Malachi  had  a  son 
Malachi,  whose  son  James,  born  in  1710,  was  the  father 
of  Robert,  the  father  of  Gen.  Christopher  Rhodes.  Gen. 
Rhodes  married  Betsey  Allen,  of  South  Kingstown. 
Their  children  were  George  A.,  Christopher  S  ,  who 
married  Olive  B.,  a  daughter  of  Joshua  Mauran  ;  Eliza 
A.,  who  married  Hon.  John  R.  Bartlett,  for  many  years 
Secretary  of  State,  and  Sarah  A.,  who  married  Hon. 
Henry  B.  Anthony,  one  of  the  Senators  from  this  State 
in  Congress.  Gen.  Rhodes  died  in  Pawtuxet,  May  24, 
1861,  and  was  buried  in  the  old  family  burial  ground  at 
Pawtuxet,  where  the  first  Zachary  Rhodes  and  his  wife 
were  buried.  The  graves  of  the  latter  are  marked  by 
"  square  piles  of  flat  stones,"  without  inscriptions.  Gen. 
Rhodes  outlived  all  his  children,  his  son  Christopher  S. 
having  died  January  17,  1861,  about  four  months  pre- 
vious to  his  father. 


NATICK.  253 


The  following  is  a  concise  statement  respecting  the 
mills  of  this  village,  as  they  now  stand :  No.  1,  of 
brick,  the  north  end  as  far  as  the  tower,  166x48  feet, 
built  in  1835 ;  south  end  built  in  1859,  153x52  feet, 
comprising  the  L  and  tower.  It  stands  on  the  site  of 
the  old  Rhodes'  mill,  and  contains  21,244  spindles  and 
471  looms.  No.  2,  of  stone,  built  in  1826,  120x44,  with 
an  addition  on  the  north  end,  built  in  1858,  of  40  feet, 
making  the  present  size  160x44.  It  contains  7,174 
spindles,  and  132  looms.  No.  3,  built  of  stone,  by  Wm. 
Sprague,  in  1822,  with  an  addition  in  1835,  making  it 
136x36  feet.  It  contains  6,784  spindles  and  216  looms. 
No.  4,  built  of  brick  in  1829-30,  with  additions  in  1856, 
making  it  190x44.  It  contains  9,280  spindles  and  213 
looms.  Total  of  the  four  mills,  44,604  spindles  and  1,032 
looms.  Number  of  employe's,  321  males  and  395 
females — total  716.  During  the  year  ending  June  1st, 
1875,  these  mills  made  10,544  920  yards  of  cloth,  which 
were  sent  to  the  Cranston  Print  Works. 

The  agents  and  superintendents  of  the  Spragues  in 
this  village  have  been  as  follows:  Wm.  Sprague  was  in 
charge  for  several  years,  and  was  succeeded  by  his 
brother-in-law,  Emanuel  Rice ;  Henry  Dyer,  superin- 
tendent from  1849  to  1860  ;  Edwin  Potter,  1860  to 
1862;  John  Allen,  Jan.  1,  1862,  to  the  following  May; 
Wm.  M.  Spink  was  appointed  to  that  position  May  23, 
1864,  and  has  continued  until  the  present  time.  Mr. 
Albert  G.  Smith  commenced  working  for  the  Spragues 
in  1835,  making  the  wood  work  of  the  machinery,  and 
continued  in  this  capacity  and  that  of  draughtsman  until 
1859,  and  at  intervals  to  the  present  time — facts  that 
bear  testimony  to  his  skill  and  iaithfulness. 

Though  the  mill  property  in  this  village  might  be  con- 
sidered as  somewhat  extensive,  it  is  but  a  fraction  of  the 
extensive  works  carried  on  and  owned  wholly  or  in  part 
by  the  Messrs.  Amasa  &  William  Sprague,  and  others 
who  are  associated  with  them.  The  following  statement 
made  by  a  Providence  correspondent  of  a  New  York 
paper,  Nov.  7,  1873,  and  which  is  supposed  to  be  in  the 

22 


254  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK*. 

main  correct,   shows  the  immense  business  which  they 
have  carried  on : 

"The  firm  of  A.  &  TV.  Sprague  Mf'g  Co.  run  near  280,000 
spindles,  and  28  printing  machines  in  mills  and  print  works, 
and  employ  over  10,000  operatives.  Their  great  print  works  at 
Cranston  employ  about  1,200  peisone,  and  can  turn  out  40,000 
pieces  a  week.  At  Natick.  they  run  42,000  spindles  and  have 
about  800  hands.  At  Arctic,  they  run  29,000  spindles  and 
employ  500  hands.  At  Quidnick,  they  have  32,000  spindles 
and  500  hands;  at  Baltic,  Conn  ,  83,000  spindles  and  1,000 
hands;  at  Central  Falls,  R.  I.,  32,000  spindles  and  near  600 
hands;  at  Augusta,  Me.,  34,000  spindles  and  700  hands. 
These  cotton  mills  supply  their  print  works  with  most  of  the  pi-int 
cloths  used  by  them,  making. about  35,000  pieces  a  week  when 
running  on  lull  time.  All  were  running  on  half  time  in  the 
early  part  of  Nov.  1873.     At  present  all  are  running  on  full  time. 

Besides  their  mills  and  print  works,  they  run  other  great 
enterprises,  both  within  and  without  the  state  of  Rhode  Island. 
In  Maine  they  have  vast  timber  mills,  saw  mills,  and  like 
property,  in  which  are  employed  great  numbers  of  men  during 
the  lumbering  season.  In  South  Carolina,  at  Columbia,  they 
own  valuable  water  power  and  have  a  great  stock  forward. 
They  also  own  much  land  in  Kansas  and  in  Texas.  In  this 
city  (Providence)  and  Cranston,  their  real  estate  improved  and 
unimproved,  is  great  in  extent  and  value.  They  control  in 
this  city  (Providence)  the  Union  Railroad,  owning  most  of  the 
street  railways,  and  100  cars,  and  employing  300  men  and  500 
horses.  The  capital  stock  is  $600,000,  and  valuation  of  prop- 
erty about  $800,000.  Wm.  Sprague  is  President  of  the  Provi- 
dence and  New  York  Steamship  Co.,  which  has  eight 
steamers,  employs  500  hands,  and  owns  property  valued  at 
SI, 000,000.  Ibis  company  it  is  claimed  will  not  be  embarrassed 
by  the  Spragues;  because,  although  they  are  the  largest 
stockholders,  they  own  a  minority  of  the  stock.  A.  &  W. 
Sprague  control  in  Providence,  the  Perkins  Sheet  Iron  Co.; 
the  R.  I.  Horse  Shoe  Co.,  having  300  hands  when  full;  Sprague 
Mowing  Machine  Co.;  Comstock  Stove  Foundry,  and  the 
American  Horse  Nail  Co.  Their  mill  property  at  a  low  valua- 
tion, is  estimated  at  $4,200,000,  and  their  print  works  at 
SI, 000,000.  Their  pay-roll  at  times  has  approached  $25,000  a 
day.  Besides  all  this  property,  A.  &  TV.  Sprague  as  partners 
of  the  firm  of  Hoyt,  Spragues  &  Co.,  own  the  stock  of  the 
Atlantic  Delaine  Co.,  whose  mills  in.Olneyville,  R.  I.,  employ 
over  2,000  hands.  On  this  property  (said  Delaiue  Co.,)  there 
is  an  indebtedness  of  near  $4,000,000. 

Owing  to  the  financial  embarrassments  which  culmi- 


NATICK.  255 


nated  in  the  latter  part  of  1873,  the  Spragues  executed 
a  "  Deed  of  Trust "  to  Zachariah  Chaffee,  in  which 
mention  is  made  that  the  Spragues  are  indebted  to  the 
amount  of  about  $14,000,000.  Their  property  at  a  fair 
valuation  is  estimated  to  be  considerably  in  excess  of 
this  amount,  and  it  is  hoped  and  expected  that  they  will 
eventually  emerge  from  the  heavy  financial  cloud  that  at 
present  overshadows  them. 

William  Sprague,  father  of  the  first  Governor  Wm. 
Sprague,  started  a  small  mill  in  Cranston  in  1811,  and 
also  ran  a  saw  mill.  He  was  the  first  of  the  family  in- 
terested in  the  Natick  mills.  He  died  suddenly  in  the 
year  1836,  leaving  three  sons  and  two  daughters.  The 
sons  were  Amasa,  William,  who  is  sometimes  called  the 
"Old  Governor,"  to  distinguish  him  from  another  of  the 
same  name,  and  Benoni,  who  still  survives  and  resides 
in  Cranston.  One  of  the  daughters,  Almira,  married 
Emanuel  Rice,  the  other  married  a  Mathewson.  The 
two  sons,  Amasa  and  William,  after  the  death  of  their 
father,  continued  the  manufacturing  interests  in  which 
their  father  had  been  eminently  successful.  "Amasa 
possessed  much  shrewdness,  adapting  himself  easily  to 
the  prejudices  of  others,  displaying  great  occasional 
energy,  blended  with  a  good-natured  indolence,  and  in 
business  or  politics  always  gave  signs  of  athletic  common 
sense.  William's  resources  were  more  varied  and  lofty. 
His  mingled  boldness  and  prudence,  his  practical  tact 
and  speculative  skill,  his  constant  attention  to  details, 
and  his  foresight  of  the  most  distant  results  ;  his  rapid 
penetration  into  the  weak  points  of  men,  and  his  firm 
reliance  upon  his  own  impulses  ;  all  these  qualities  con- 
stituted William  Sprague  a  chieftain  in  the  marts  of 
business,  certainly  with  no  superior,  and  with  scarcely  a 
rival."  Gov.  Sprague  was  a  politician  as  well  as  a  manu- 
facturer, and  in  the  course  of  his  life  filled  several 
important  political  offices.  He  was  Governor  of  this 
State  from  1838  to  1840,  and  United  States  Senator 
from  1842  to  1844,  when  he  resigned  to  attend  to  his 
manufacturing   interests.     He  died  in   1856,  leaving  a 


256  HISTORY   OF  WARWICK. 

son  Byron,  and  a  daughter  Susan,  who  married  the  late 
Edwin  Hoyt,  of  New  York  city. 

Amasa,  brother  of  the  Governor,  was  murdered  in 
1843.  His  children  are,  the  present  Colonel  Amasa 
Sprague,  of  Cranston,  Ex  Governor  William  Sprague, 
Almira,  who  married  Hon.  Thomas  A.  Doyle,  mayor  of 
Providence,  and  Mrs.  Latham. 

On  the  death  of  the  Senior  Governor  Sprague,  the 
business  fell  into  the  hands  of  his  son  Byron,  and  his 
two  nephews  Amasa  and  William.  The  former  retired 
from  the  business  in  1862,  several  years  previous  to  his 
death.  In  1860,  William  Sprague,  then  about  thirty 
years  of  age,  was  elected  Governor  of  the  State,  and 
was  re-elected  the  following  year.  He  rendered  con- 
spicuous service  during  the  war,  and  in  1863,  was 
elected  to  the  United  States  Senate,  in  which  position  he 
remained  until  the  present  year. 

The  Natick  of  to-day,  veiy  favorably  compares  with 
that  of  fifty  years  ago,  in  many  respects.  The  increase 
in  population,  the  number  and  appearances  of  the#build- 
ings,  both  the  mills  and  the  dwelling  houses,  the  streets, 
etc.,  all  indicate  the  prosperity  that  has  attended  it. 
The  meeting  house  was  built  in  1838,  by  Governor 
Sprague,  and  was  used  for  awhile  by  the  several  de- 
nominations of  worshippers  living  in  the  village,  in  rota- 
tion. Here  Elder  Warner,  an  old  Baptist  preacher,  was 
wont  to  hold  forth,  one  sabbath  in  the  month ;  Elder 
James  Phillips,  a  Freewill  Baptist,  whose  meeting-house 
was  situated  several  miles  distant,  near  the  "  High 
House,"  and  which  was  subsequently  removed  to  Pontiac, 
and  recently  removed  by  another  church  back  to  the 
Plains,  near  to  where  it  originally  stood,  occupied  one  sab- 
bath a  month ;  the  Methodists  and  the  Baptists  also  had 
their  turns,  until  it  finally  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Bap- 
tists, who  have  continued  its  sole  occupants  for  many 
years.  The  house  was  dedicated  one  Thanksgiving  day. 
For  a  while  the  latter  denomination  paid  $50  a  year  for 
its  use,  which  was  generally  expended  by  the  Spragues 
in  keeping  it  in  repair.     Previous  to  the  building  of  the 


NATICK.  257 


meeting-house,  religious  services  were  held  in  the  old 
school-house,  the  building  just  west  of  the  present  school- 
house  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Sheldon  H.  Tillinghast,  and 
at  various  other  places.  Mrs.  Sally  Warner,  or  "  aunt 
Sally,"  as  she  was  familiarly  called,  is  supposed  to  have 
started  the  first  sabbath  school  that  was  held  in  the  vil- 
lage, in  what  was  known  as  Cod-fish  Hall,  over  the  store 
of  the  Messrs.  Rhodes.  Mrs.  Warner  subsequently  re- 
moved her  school  to  the  school-house.  She  was  a 
woman  of  many  excellent  traits  of  character,  full  of 
vivacity,  of  masculine  courage,  which  was  sometimes 
severely  tested  by  those  who  had  but  little  sympathy  for 
her  in  the  good  work  in  which  she  was  engaged.  With 
a  mind  stored  with  religious  anecdotes,  she  awakened 
the  interest  of  her  pupils  in  the  Bible  and  doubtless  kept 
many  little  feet  from  wandering  into  the  pathways  of  sin 
and  folly. 

The  first  building  erected  for  school  purposes  in  the  vil- 
lage, was  probably  the  one  now  standing  south  of  the 
present  school-house.  It  was  enlarged  to  about  double 
its  original  proportions,  by  Win.  Sprague,  in  1838,  and 
was  used  until  the  building  now  used  was  erected  in 
1850.  The  cost  of  the  present  school-house  was  $2,355 
independent  of  the  lot,  which,  was  given  by  Mr.  Sprague. 
Among  the  earlier  teachers  were  Wm.  B.  Spencer,  in 
1830-1,  Rev.  Arthur  A.  Ross,  Rev.  J.  Brayton,  Alanson 
Holly,  E.  M.  Tappan,  E.  M.  Hopkins,  M.  J.  Knight, 
M.  W.  Grow,  and  others.  The  present  principal  of  the 
school,  Mr.  J.  Q.  Adams,  who  has  kindly  furnished  a 
portion  of  the  items  connected  with  the  present  account 
of  this  village,  has  held  his  position  with  much  credit 
since  1867. 

Among  the  early  physicians  that  located  in  this  village 
were  Dr.  Greene,  afterwards  of  East  Greenwich,  Dr. 
Andros,  who  was  settled  here  many  years  and  until  his 
death,  and  Dr.  Asa  Fuller,  who  purchased  the  estate  and 
lived  in  the  house  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Mrs. 
John  D.  Spink. 

Previous  to  the  year  1840,  the  population  of  the  vil- 

*22 


258  HISTORY   OF  WARWICK. 


lage  was  almost  exclusively  American.  The  only  Irish- 
man living  here  at  that  date  was  Patrick  Dunn,  who 
married  an  American  woman,  and  finally  removed  to 
East  Greenwich,  where  he  died.  On  the  passage  of  the 
railroad  through  here,  the  foreign  element  rapidly  in- 
creased, and  at  present  forms  a  large  proportion  of  the 
population.  A  Roman  Catholic  church  was  built  in 
1871-2  for  the  benefit  of  the  Irish  catholics,  and  about  a 
year  ago,  a  chapel  was  erected  of  the  same  order  for  the 
French  people,  but  which  has  never  been  consecrated, 
and  will  doubtless  be  used  for  other  purposes,  inasmuch 
as  the  two  nationalities  have  concluded  to  unite  in  wor- 
ship at  the  other  church. 

To  the  north  of  the  village,  about  a  mile  distant,  on 
land  formerly  owned  by  the  Baker  family,  but  now  in 
possession  of  the  Spragues,  is  a  stream  of  water,  that 
forms,  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  one  of  the  finest 
cascades  in  New  England.  The  stream  is  a  branch  of 
the  Moshanticut,  one  of  the  feeders  of  the  Pawtuxet, 
and  in  the  summer  time  a  person  may  easily  step  across 
it.  But  in  the  spring  time,  when  the  heavy  rains  and 
melted  snow  swell  its  volume,  and  there  is  no  call  for  its 
diversion  to  irrigate  the  lands  that  lie  to  the  southward, 
as  is  the  case  during  the  summer  months,  the  waters  re- 
joice in  their  liberty  and  devote  themselves  to  a  grand 
exhibition  of  watery  gymnastics.  The  fall  in  the  course 
of  quarter  of  a  mile,  is  probably  not  less  than  a  hundred 
feet  perpendicular  height,  for  the  most  part  over  a  pre- 
cipitous, scraggy  ledge  of  rocks,  a  portion  of  the  distance 
being  at  au  angle  of  some  sixty  degrees.  The  stream 
after  crossing  the  highway,  moves  quietly  along  for 
some  distance,  until  it  comes  near  the  precipice,  then 
gradually  increases  in  speed,  now  turning  at  right  angles 
at  some  impassible  barrier,  or  over-leaping  it,  until  it 
takes  its  principal  leap  and  tumbles  down  the  precipice, 
churned  to  a  foam  and  casting  its  spray  on  every  side. 
Then  with  a  variety  of  ceremonious  bows  to  the  right 
and  to  the  left,  with  pigmy  waterfalls  here  and  there  in 
its  course,  it  arrives  at  the  valley  below,  and  quietly 


PONTIAC.  259 


pursues  the  remainder  of  its  way  to  the  Shanticut.  The 
view  from  the  cliff  is  beautiful  and  picturesque  aside 
from  the  cascade,  but  with  this  in  addition  affords  a  bit 
of  natural  scenery  hardly  less  pleasing  than  the  falls  of 
the  Ammonusuc. 


PONTIAC.      . 

No  one  of  the  villages  on  the  Pawtuxet  river  and  its 
tributaries  has  been  designated  by  so  many  different 
names  in  the  course  of  its  history,  as  the  one  we  have 
now  come  to.  The  changes  began  during  the  aborigi- 
nal period.  The  territory  in  the  vicinity,  and  probably 
including  the  site  of  the  present  village,  was  known  as 
early  as  the  year  1662,  as  "  Papepieset,  alias  Toceunck," 
(see  page  57.)  The  latter  name  is  variously  spelt  in 
the  town  records,  and  seems  to  have  been  applied  to  the 
Indian  village  then  existing  in  this  vicinity,  as  well  as 
to  the  meadow  lands  along  the  river.  Papepieset,  or 
Toskiounke,  as  it  was  sometimes  called,  makes  a  very 
good  mouthfull  of  language,  and  either  term  is  prefera- 
ble to  those  that  were  subsequently  taken  to  designate 
the  place,  except  the  present  one,  which  we  regard 
with  favor.  The  signification  of  those  Indian  names  I 
have  not  been  able  to  learn. 

The  earliest  English  designation  of  the  place,  or  at 
least  a  very  early  one,  was  the  "  Great  Weir."  Previous 
to  the  erection  of  the  mill  dams,  different  kinds  of  fish, 
as  the  salmon,  shad,  and  alewives  or  herring,  migrated 
from  the  ocean  to  the  inland  ponds  in  the  early  part  of 
the  season,  and  deposited  their  spawn,  and  in  the  fall 
returned  with  their  progeny  to  the  sea.  The  natural 
falls  in  the  river  were  favorite  places  where  the  anglers 
were  inclined  to  station  themselves  at  the  proper  sea- 
sons, and  with  lines  and  nets  make  prey  of  the  finny  tribes 
as  they  proceeded  on  their  annual  journeys.  The  de- 
mand for  these  fish  inclined  some  of  the  more  ingenious 
and  avaricious  to  erect  "  weirs,"  or  water-traps,  in  the 


260  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK. 

river,  by  which  large  quantities  of  fish  could  be  taken. 
These  weirs  "  consisted  of  a  wooden  trellis-work,  armed 
with  sharp  pointed  sticks,  and  sunk  upon  rocks  one  or 
two  feet  below  the  suiface  of  the  stream,  and  as  the 
middle  of  the  river  by  being  filled  with  large  stones, 
was  rendered  too  shallow  for  the  upward  passage  of  the 
salmon  and  shad,  they  plunged  by  necessity  into  the 
deeper  water  near  ,the  shore,  where  these  concealed 
traps  received  them  with  a  fatal  welcome."*  When  the 
dams  of  the  cotton  mills  were  erected,  the  fish  took 
offence,  and  regarded  the  innovation  as  aimed  against 
their  long  established  rights,  and  finally  abandoned 
their  old  nurseries.  For  awhile  the  rights  of  the  fish 
were  partially  protected  by  laws,  which  provided  that 
sluice  ways  should  be  kept  open  in  the  spring  time,  in 
order  that  the  fish  might  freely  pass  to  the  inland 
waters.  But  this  proved  unsatisfactory  to  them,  and 
the  fish  concluded  if  they  could  not  have  their  full  rights 
they  would  seek  more  favorable  haunts,  which  they 
accordingly  did.  The  "weir"  was  then  of  no  longer 
use  and  soon  ceased  to  properly  designate  the  place,  and 
became  like  the  play  of  Hamlet,  with  Hamlet  left  out. 
In  the  course  of  time  a  bridge  was  erected  across  the 
river,  and  like  a  drowning  man,  who  is  said  to  "  catch  at 
a  straw,"  the  people  rechristened  the  place  as  "  the 
great  bridge  near  the  weir."  Then  a  prominent  man  in 
the  vicinity  became  associated  with  the  structure,  and 
the  place  was  known  as  "  Capt.  Benjamin  Greene's 
bridge."!  Capt.  Greene  subsequently  lost  this  honor, 
and  another  man  took  the  laurels,  and  it  was  called 
"Arnold's  bridge. "$    This  continued  until  John  H.  Clark 

*  The  weir  was  below  the  present  dam,  and  the  centre  of  the  river 
had  been  so  rilled  up  with  stones  as  to  form  an  island. 

t  Capt.  Benjamin  Greene  was  familiarly  known  as  "Tobacco  Ben. 
Greene,"  to  distinguish  him  from  another  person  in  town  of  the  same 
name,  and  also  by  reason  of  his  raising  large  quantities  of  tobacco. 

J  Benjamin  Arnold  was  the  grandson  of  Capt.  Benjamin  Greene,  and 
inherited  the  homestead  on  both  sides  of  the  river.  He  was  the  first 
Arnold  who  lived  in  this  vicinity.  From  him  the  homestead  descended 
to  his  son.  Judge  Dutee  Arnold  The  estate  is  now  owned  by  Dutee 
Arnold,  Esq.,  grandson  of  the  Judge. 


PONTIAC.  261 


purchased  the  water  power,  and  the  village  assumed  the 
name  of  Clarksville,  which  continued  in  use  until  the 
present  manufacturing  company  purchased  the  property, 
and  gave  it  its  present  title  of  Pontiac.  Pontiac  was 
the  name  of  a  celebrated  Indian  chief,  and  was  styled 
"The  King  and  Lord  of  all  the  Northwest."*  'Mr. 
Clark,  while  out  in  Michigan,  saw  the  picture  of  the  old 
chief,  Pontiac,  and  on  his  return  had  it  engraved,  to  be 
used  as  a  label  on  his  goods.  The  name  gradually  be- 
came attached  to  the  village  after  he  left,  though 
many  continued  to  call  it  "  Arnold's  Bridge."  Though 
these  several  later  changes  in  the  name  of  the  village 
indicates  a  series  of  changes  in  the  real  estate  comprising 
the  village  proper,  the  land  in  the  vicinity  was  chiefly 
owned  by  a  few  families,  prominent  among  them  being 
the  Staffords  and  Greenes  and  their  descendants.  The 
following  paragraphs,  are  from  Mr.  Rousmaniere's  inter- 
esting letters: 

"  The  progenitor  of  the  Staffords,  was  named  Thomas,  a 
native  of  England,  an  early  settler  in  Plymouth  Colony,  a  citi- 
zen of  Newport  in  1638,  subsequently  a  sojourner  in  Provi- 
dence, finally,  in  1652,  an  efficient  inhabitant  of  Old  Warwick.  In 
1655,  he  bought  the  house  and  land  of  John  Townsend,  front- 
ing on  the  common,  the  lot  reaching  southerly  to  the  brook, 
whose  waters  flowed  past  the  grist  mill  that  had  been  erected 
five  years  before.  Thomas  Stafford  bequeathed  an  independent 
estate  to  his  three  sons,  Samuel,  Thomas  and  Joseph.  Samuel 
married  Mercy,  the  daughter  of  Stukely  Westcott,  one  of  the 
earliest  settlers  of  the  town;  Joseph  married  Sarah  Holden, 
daughter  of  Randall  Holden,  another  veteran  worthy  of  that 
period.  Joseph  Stafford,  youngest  son  of  Thomas,  was  ad- 
mitted a  freeman  in  Warwick  in  1677,  and  four  years  after 
settled  near  the  "  great  weir,"  on  the  dividing  line  between 
Cranston  and  Warwick,  building  his  mansion  house  in  both 
towns,  according  to  the  survey  that  was  made  many  years 
afterwards,  when  Cranston  was  set  off  from  Providence.  His 
descendants  have  altered  the  old  domicile  into  a  commodious 
two-story  mansion.  He  bought  land  from  the  old  proprietors, 
from  the  Pawtuxet  river,  westward  to  Moshanticut  brook. 


*  See  Parktnan's  book,  entitled  "The  Conspiracy  of  Pontiac  and  the 
Indian  War  after  the  conquest  of  Canada." 


262  HISTORY   OF  WARWICK. 


As  he  came  into  this  region  at  the  close  of  Philip's  war,  it  is 
presumed  that  the  tract  was  a  wilderness,  and  for  the  first  time 
subjected  to  the  touch  of  culture.  He  was  an  accumulator  of 
property.  His  children  were  Stukely,  Joseph,  John,  Margaret, 
Elizabeth,  Mary  and  Frances;  the  latter  married  Benjamin 
Congdon. 

"  The  large  tract,  south  of  the  upper  farm  of  the  Stafford's, 
was  owned  by  Thomas  Greene,  youngest  son  of  John  Greene, 
senior.  His  wife  was  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Kufus  Barton, 
by  whom  he  had  seven  children.  His  oldest  son,  Thomas,  who 
was  born  August  14,  1662,  was  drowned  during  a  thunder 
storm  in  the  winter  of  1698  or  1699,  while  returning  in  a  small 
boat  from  Newport  to  his  residence  in  Potovvomut.  The 
youngest  son  of  Nathaniel,  who  was  born  April  10,  1679,  re- 
moved to  Boston.  The  oldest  son  of  Nathaniel  was  named 
Rufus;  one  of  the  daughters  of  the  latter,  Sarah,  married 
Thomas  Hickling;  Catherine,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Sarah 
Hickling,  became  the  wife  of  Judge  Prescott,  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  mother  of  that  brilliant  author  and  historian,  Wil- 
liam H.  Prescott. 

"  The  descendants  of  Thomas  Greene,  have  been  styled  the 
"  Stone  Castle  Greenes,"  from  the  fact  that  he  dwelt  in  the 
massive  stone  garrison  house  in  Old  Warwick,  built  by  John 
Smith,  in  1649. 

"  Allusiou  has  been  made  to  Thomas  Greene,  who  was 
drowned  in  1698.  His  only  son  John,  inherited  a  large  estate 
at  Potowomut.  John  became  a  convert  to  the  views  of  George 
Fox,  and  married  Deborah  Carr,  of  Jamestown.  Judge  Caleb 
Greene,  of  Coventry,  was  one  of  his  sons.  Another,  Richard, 
was  an  Episcopalian,  and  lived  in  princely  style  upon  the  pat- 
rimonial estate  at  Potowomut,  and  from  the  prodigality  of  his 
habits,  and  partly  perhaps  from  the  fact  that  he  was  a  royalist 
during  the  revolution,  was  styled  King  Richard.  Being  af- 
flicted with  a  cancer,  it  is  said,  he  went  to  Newport  with  a  flag 
of  truce  for  advice  from  the  British  army  surgeons,  where  his 
death  was  occasioned  by  an  overdose  of  cicuta.  The  farm  of 
650  acres  in  extent  was  subsequently  purchased  by  her  father 
for  Mrs.  Thomas  P.  Ives,  by  whose  descendants  it  has  been 
much  improved  and  beautified. 

Let  us  return  to  the  village  of  Pontiac,  or  as  it  was  then 
termed,  the  "  great  weir."  Thomas  Greene,  the  elder,  among 
whose  descendants  were  Rowland  Greene,  a  preacher  of  the 
Society  of  Friends,  and  John  Wickes  Greene,  Esq.,  of  Old 
Warwick,  gave  bis  land  in  this  vicinity  to  his  second  son  Benja- 
min, who  was  born  January  10,  1665.  He  was  captain  in  the 
colonial  forces,  and  held  at  different  times  various  civic  offices. 
He  had  a  tannery  upon  his  estate,  and  one  of  the  large  stones 
used  in  breaking  bark  is   now   at   the   front  door  of  his  family 


PONTIAC.  263 


homestead.  He  married  Susanna,  daughter  of  Randall  Holden. 
During  a  high  freshet  in  the  Pawtuxet  river  it  is  said  he  saved 
his  wife  by  taking  her  from  the  house  in  a  boat.  He  soon 
after  took  that  house  to  pieces  and  removed  it  to  a  more  elevated 
location.  The  latter  house  still  remains  on  the  Arnold  farm. 
It  is  more  than  140  years  old,  according  to  tradition,  having 
been  erected  before  the  death  of  his  daughter  Margaret,  in 
January,  1730.  Margaret  was  the  wife  of  Pardon  Tillinghast, 
of  Providence.  Catherine,  his  second  daughter,  married 
Governor  William  Greene,  senior. 

"Captain  Benjamin  Greene,  son  of  Thomas,  died, Februay  22, 
1757,  aged  91,  his  landed  domain,  which  was  quite  extensive, 
was  distributed  among  his  daughters  and  their  sons.  One  of 
the  Natick  farms  near  Phenix  village,  subsequently  owned  by 
the  late  Mr.  George  Burlingame,  was  bequeathed  to  his  grand- 
son, the  second  Governor  William  Greene.  His  homestead 
and  the  land  adjoining,  he  gave  to  his  grandson  Benjamin 
Arnold,  son  of  Philip,  who  lived  near  Apponaug.  Benjamin 
Arnold jmarried  one  of  the  daughters  of  John  Rice,  who  lived 
between  Apponaug  and  Greenwich.  He  died,  February  25, 
1799,  aged  77.  He  possessed  a  large  landed  estate,  which  was 
distributed  in  several  towns,  and  which  he  bequeathed  as  fol- 
lows:* To  Benjamin,  a  farm  in  Coventry;  to  John  Ricef  and 
Philip,  farms  in  Cranston;  to  Stephen,  land  in  Warwick;  to 
Henry,thefarmonthe  south  side  of  the  Pawtuxet;  to  Dutee,  the 
homestead  farm  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river;  and  to 
Thomas,Iand  in  Warwick.  Henry  kept  a  tavern  on  the  south  side 
of  the  river  for  many  years.  The  late  Major  Hughes,  father  of 
John  L.  Hughes,  of  Providence,  it  is  said,  entered  this  public 
house  one  night  on  his  return  from  the  Indian  wars  in  the 
western  States,  soon  after  the  close  of  the  revolution.  Mrs. 
Arnold  asked  him  how  he  passed  over  the  river:  the  Major  re- 
plied: "I  rode  over  the  bridge;  the  horse  picked  his  way,  as 
it  was  so  very  dark  I  could  not  see  the  path."  Mrs.  A.  replied 
in  a  very  excited  tone  of  voice,  "You  must  be  mistaken, 
Major,  for  all  the  planking  was  taken  off  the  bridge  to-day  in 
in  order  to  repair  it."  Major  H.  who  was  not  a  man  to  surren- 
der his  opinions  to  any  one,  reiterated  in  the  most  positive 
manner  that  he  had  so  crossed  it,  and  asking  for  a  lantern,  he 
groped  his  way  back  to  the  bridge,  and  ascertained  that  as  the 


*  Benjamin  Arnold's  farm  was  about  a  mile  above  Washington  vil- 
lage. His  son  Thomas  started  the  acid  works,  which  have  continued 
to  be  operated  by  his  heirs.     F. 

f  John  Rice  Arnold's  farm  is  the  present  State  Farm.  It  afterwards 
passed  into  the  bauds  of  Wm.  A.  Howard,  who  was  brought  up  in  the 
family  of  John  Rice  Arnold  ;  then  Dea.  Win,  Snow  bought  it  of  How- 
ard's heirs,  and  a  few  years  ago  sold  it  to  the  State.     F. 


264  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

planks  had  all  been  removed,  his  horse  must  have  walked  over 
on  one  of  the  string  pieces  !  Mr.  Hughes  then  resided  near 
Centreville." 

The  house  in  which  Mr.  Hughes  lived,  and  which 
he  probably  built,  is  the  one  now  standing  next  to 
the  Quidnick  railroad  bridge,  and  now  owned  and 
occupied  by  Mr.  Casey  B.  Tyler. 

The  old  tavern  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  was  one 
of  the  most  noted  public  houses  outside  of  the  city  of 
Providence,  until  the  Providence  and  New  London 
turnpike  was  built,  and  was  kept  by  Henry  Arnold,  son 
of  Benjamin,  who  was  a  grandson  of  Capt.  Benjamin 
Greene.  The  old  road  on  which  it  was  situated,  was 
laid  out  in  1729,  and  was  the  only  thoroughfare  from 
Providence  into  the  country  in  this  direction.  When 
the  turnpike  was  put  through  it  was  left  out  of  the  main 
line  of  travel,  and  a  new  tavern  was  built  to  the  west- 
ward on  the  turnpike,  which  became  known  as  the  Gor- 
ton Arnold  Tavern,  or  "  Gorton  Arnold  Stand."  Gorton 
Arnold  was  a  son  of  Philip,  who  was  brother  of  Judge 
Dutee  Arnold.  A  few  years  ago  the  tavern  was  con- 
sumed by  fire  and  a  new  one  erected,  which  is  now 
standing. 

Judge  Dutee  Arnold  was  one  of  the  most  conspicuous 
men  of  the  place,  and  was  well-known  throughout  the 
State  for  more  than  half  a  century.  In  June,  1817,  he 
was  elected  an  Associate  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court. 
He  took  his  seat  on  the  bench  in  May,  1818,  and  con- 
tinued in  office  until  1822.  He  had  three  children, 
Horatio,  Walter,  who  died  young,  and  Marcy,  who  re- 
cently died  unmarried. 

The  site  of  the  village  in  the  year  1800,  was  in  pos- 
session of  Gideon  Mumford,  who  was  drowned  in  the 
river  near  his  house.  The  land  and  water  power  was 
subsequently  purchased  by  Henry  Arnold,  who  in  con- 
nection with  Dutee  Arnold,  erected  a  saw  and  grist  mill 
in  1810.  Horatio  Arnold  subsequently  carried  on  wool 
carding  and  cotton  spinning  in  another  mill.  This 
building  was  also  used  at  different  periods  for  the  man- 


PONTTAC.  265 


ufacture  of  coarse  woolen  cloth.*  In  February,  1827, 
Rice  A.  Brown,  Jonathan  Knowles  and  Samuel  Fenner 
bought  the  land  and  two-thirds  of  the  water-power  of 
the  Arnolds  for  $1,250.  They  run  it  for  about  two 
years,  having  twenty  looms,  on  which  they  wove  coarse 
sheetings.  In  1829,  during  the  general  depression  in 
manufacturing  operation,  they  failed,  and  the  property 
was  sold  at  public  auction,  in  1830,  to  John  H.  Clark. 
Two  years  afterwards,  Clark  bought  of  Dutee  Arnold 
the  other  one-third  of  the  water-power,  with  the  saw 
mill  and  grist  mill,  and  in  1882,  built  a  stone  factory,  in 
which  he  run  seventy-five  looms.  In  1834,  the  bleachery 
was  built  fitted  to  bleach  2,250  pounds  per  day.  George 
T.  Spicer,  now  of  Providence,  of  the  firm  of  Spicers  & 
Peckham,  was  superintendent.  Mr.  Spicer  married  the 
grand-daughter  of  Judge  Dutee  Arnold.  From  1822  to 
1829,  Mr.  Spicer,  who  has  kindly  furnished  many  of  the 
items  of  this  account,  lived  at  Phenix,  having  charge 
a  portion  of  the  time  of  the  machine  shop.  He  after- 
wards removed  to  Providence,  and  in  1830,  went  to 
Pontiac,  where  he  was  connected  with  the  mills,  having 
full  charge  of  the  concern  for  ten  years  previous  to  1845. 
He  afterwards  removed  to  Providence,  where  he  took 
the  general  charge  of  the  High  Street  Furnace  Company, 
for  five  years,  and  then  bought  in  with  Dutee  Arnold, 
and  built  the  furnace  now  known  as  Spicers  &  Peckham's 
Furnace. 

John  H.  Clark  was  born  in  Elizabethtown,  N.  J., 
April  1,  1789.  His  father  Dr.  John  Clark  was  a  de- 
scendant of  Dr.  John  Clark,  the  friend  and  companion 
of  Roger  Williams,  the  faithful  servant  of  the  colony, 
who  mortgaged  his  property  to  raise  the  means  of  main- 
taining himself  in  London,  where  he  was  defending  its 
interest  and  pleading  its  cause.     He  was  the  founder 


*  Gideon  Mumford  lived  in  a  house  that  stood  just  opposite  the  pre- 
sent store.  After  his  death  the  house  was  used  as  a  place  for  calen- 
dering, by  Horatio  Arnold  and  James  Simmons.  The  calender  was 
afterwards  removed  to  Apponaug,  where  it  was  used  but  for  a  short 
time. 

23 


266  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK. 

and  first  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Newport. 
On  his  mother's  side,  John  H.  Clark  was  descended 
from  Esek  Hopkins,  the  first  Commodore  of  the  American 
Navy.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Brown  University,  of  the 
class  of  1809.  He  afterwards  studied  law,  which  he  soon 
relinquished  to  engage  in  business  as  agent  of  the  Steam 
Cotton  Mill  in  Providence,  belonging  to  Benjamin  and 
Charles  Dyer.  Before  selling  out  at  Pontiac,  he  built  the 
Clinton  mill  at  Woonsocket.  Mr.  Clark  was  a  repre- 
sentative in  the  General  Assembly  from  Providence,  and 
in  October,  1846,  was  elected  a  Senator  in  Congress  for 
the  term  commencing  March  4,  1847,  in  place  of  James 
F.  Simmon's.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a  man  who 
"  loved  his  friends  and  hated  his  enemies.  He  never 
deceived  either.  His  honesty  was  never  questioned, 
and  no  man  doubted  his  sincerity.  No  man  doubted 
that  what  he  said  was  true,  that  what  he  promised  he 
would  perform.  He  was  a  man  of  remarkably  genial 
temper,  abounded  in  anecdote  and  pleasant  reminiscences, 
political  and  personal,  and  possessed  a  fund  of  humor 
that  made  him  a  delightful  companion."  His  latest 
residence  in  Warwick  was  near  East  Greenwich,  on  the 
fine  estate  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Dutee  Arnold, 
Esq.,  who  formerly  lived  at  Pontiac.  Mr.  Clark  died  in 
Providence,  in  1872. 

On  Oct.  4,  1850,  Mr.  Clark  sold  out  the  estate  to 
Zachariah  Parker  and  Robert  Knight  for  $40,000.  In 
1852,  the  premises  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  present 
owners,  the  Messrs.  B.  B.  &  R.  Knight,  who  changed 
the  name  of  the  place  to  Pontiac.  Various  changes  and 
improvements  have  been  made  in  the  mills,  as  well  as  in 
the  general  appearance  of  the  village  since  it  has  been 
in  possession  ot  the  Knights.  In  1858,  they  had  so  en- 
larged the  bleach ery  that  they  were  able  to  finish  five 
tons  daily.  The  cotton  mill  then  contained  124  looms 
and  5,000  spindles  for  the  manufacture  of  cotton  cloth. 
The  old  bleach  works  were  burned  April  15,  1870,  and 
a  new  building  was  immediately  erected  and  in  operation 
Sept.  1st,  1870.     The  new  building  is  of  stone,  lf>0x40, 


PONTIAC.  267 


arranged  with  all  the  modern  improvements  for  carrying 
on  the  bleachery  business,  and  capable  of  turning  off 
fifteen  tons  of  goods  per  day.  The  old  stone  mill  (of 
which  a  view  is  given  in  the  engraving  with  the  old 
bleachery,)  was  torn  down  and  the  handsome  new 
brick  building  erected  upon  its  site  in  1863.  The  di- 
mensions of  the  new  mill  are  200x66,  with  an  L  ,  90x40. 
Its  capacity  is  20,300  spindles.  The  fall  of  water  is 
about  seven  feet.  The  goods  manufactured  are  fine 
sheetings,  known  by  the  popular  name  of  the  Fruit  of  the 
Loom.  In  1866,  the  company  built  a  large  brick  store, 
with  an  upper  room  nicely  fitted  up  for  religious  ser- 
vices, and  in  1874,  a  store-house  of  stone,  157x58  feet, 
and  five  stories  high.  The  present  capable  superintend- 
ent, Mr.  S.  N.  Bourne,  has  been  in  immediate  charge  of 
the  works  since  June,  1866.  In  addition  to  the  exten- 
sive works  in  this  village,  the  Messrs.  Knight  own  the 
mills  at  White  Rock  and  Doflgeville,  and  are  also  the 
principal  owners  at  Hebron  and  Manchaug. 

In  1868,  the  new  public  highway  leading  from  this 
village  to  Natick,  was  laid  out,  and  in  1 873,  the  company 
obtained  a  charter  from  the  General  Assembly  to  lay 
rails  along  side  this  road  from  the  Hartford  Railroad  to 
their  village,  for  carrying  freight  and  passengers.  The 
rails  have  been  laid,  and  railway  communication  estab- 
lished between  the  village  and  the  rest  of  the  world.  A 
private  telegraph  is  in  operation  between  their  office 
in  this  village  and  their  headquarters  in  Providence. 

From  this  village  the  Pawtuxet  passes  onward  to  the 
sea,  several  miles  distant,  before  entering  which,  andjust 
as  it  is  about  to  mingle  its  waters  with  those  of  the  Narra- 
gansett,  it  allows  a  portion  of  them  to  be  drawn  away 
at  the  Pettaconsett  pumping  station  to  meet  the  wants 
of  a  hundred  thousand  people  in  Providence,  and  the 
remainder  to  perform  a  final  service  for  the  manufac- 
turer at  Pawtuxet  village.  By  this  time  we  think,  it  de- 
serves its  liberty,  and  has  established  its  claim  to  be  a 
hardworking  and  benevolent  river.  Along  its  course, 
from  its  many  sources,  it  has  been  attended  by  the  hum 


268  HISTORY   OF    WARWICK. 

of  machinery,  and  its  merits,  as  an  auxiliary  to  human 
industry,  though  unsung  by  the  poet,  is  attested  by  the 
score  of  thriving  villages  that  have  developed  along  its 
banks.  But  even  the  poet  has  been  awakened  to  its 
merits  and  tuned  his  lyre  as  he  contemplates  it  in  its 
final  efforts  to  assuage  the  thirst  and  guard  from  destruc- 
tion the  homes  of  a  neighboring  city.  The  following 
appreciative  lines  were  recently  published  in  the  Provi- 
dence Journal : 

PAWTUXET. 

River  of  beauty  that  peacefully  flows, 
Winding  its  bright  way  through  forest  and  mead, 

Turns  from  its  shadows  of  dreamy  repose, 
Answers  the  call  of  humanity's  need. 

Leaving  the  valley  of  sunlight  and  calm, 
Houie  of  the  wild  flower  and  haunt  of  the  bird, 

Bearing  to  thirsty  lips  coolness  and  balm, 
Swift  to  the  dusty  town  comes  at  our  word. 

Health  for  the  drooping  and  comfort  for  all, 

Let  our  glad  thanks  for  thee  echo  again; 
River  of  bounty  that  flows  at  our  call, 

Bear  on  thy  bosom  our  grateful  refrain. 

Soft  flowing  river,  yet  mighty  in  power, 
Guarding  our  homes  from  destruction  and  death, 

Rising  in  calmness  through  terrors  dark  hour, 
Quenching  in  silence  the  fire-demon's  breath. 

Joyful  our  welcome,  oh,  glorious  river, 
Hushed  he  all  discord,  forgotten  all  strife, 

Strong  in  thy  purity  flow  on  for  ever. 
Emblem  so  bright  of  the  river  of  Life. 
Providence,  August,  1875. 


hill's  GROVE. 

To  the  east  of  Pontiac,  a  couple  of  miles  on  the  Ston- 
ington  railroad,  a  thriving  little  village  has  sprung  up 
within  the  past  ten  years,  in  connection  with  the  es- 
tablishment of  anew  branch  of  industry.  The  place  was 
evidently  named  for  the  president  of  the  company  doing 
business  here,  and  who  is  said  to  be  the  owner  of  a 
tract  of  land  in  this  vicinity,   of  about  800  acres  in  ex- 


hill's  grove.  269 


tent.  The  Rhode  Island  Malleable  Iron  Works  started 
in  1867,  by  a  company,  of  which  Thomas  J.  Hill  is  Pres- 
ident and  Treasurer,  Smith  Quiinby,  Superintendent 
and  Samnel  W.  Kilvert,  Agent.  They  erected  a  fine 
brick  edifice  with  a  front  of  about  247  feet  by  60  feet 
with  an  L,  used  as  a  moulding  room  165  by  60.  When 
in  full  operation  it  employs  100  hands.  Its  business  is 
the  manufacture  of  all  kinds  of  malleable  iron  castings. 
The  stockholders  and  its  several  officers  have  continued 
the  same  from  the  beginning. 

The  process  by  which  these  castings  are  produced 
may  be  briefly  stated.  In  the  melting  process,  the  iron 
does  not  come  in  direct  contact  with  the  coal  as  in  ordi- 
nary furnaces,  used  for  the  production  of  common  cast- 
ings, but  is  in  a  receptacle  by  itself,  where  the  refining 
process  is  carried  on,  by  carefully  skimming  off  the 
dross  as  it  collects  upon  the  surface,  leaving  only  the 
pure  metal  for  the  moulders  ladle.  This  separation  of 
the  iron  from  the  coal  in  the  process  of  melting,  incurs 
an  increased  expenditure  of  coal,  about  a  ton  of  the  lat- 
ter being  required  to  bring  a  ton  of  iron  to  the  desired 
point.  After  cooling,  the  castings  are  closely  packed  in 
iron  boxes,  iron  scales  being  used  in  packing :  the  boxes 
are  then  placed  in  a  furnace,  where  they  are  subjected 
to  a  certain  degree  of  heat,  for  the  space  of  nine  days, 
for  the  purpose  of  annealing  them.  The  carbon  is  by 
this  time  thrown  off  and  they  are  found  to  be  as  tough 
and  pliable  as  wrought  iron  A  multitude  of  different 
articles  are  thus  manufactured,  of  all  sizes  and  shapes, 
from  garden  rakes  and  coffee  mills  to  the  larger  pieces 
used  in  connection  with  cotton  and  woolen  machinery. 
They  use  principally  for  these  purposes,  the  kind  of  iron 
known  to  the  craft  as  the  cold  blast  charcoal  iron.  A 
short  time  after  the  works  were  started,  a  tasteful  depot 
was  erected,  costing  about  $3000,  of  which  the  railway 
company  paid  half,  and  a  school  house  two  stories  high, 
the  upper  part  of  which  was  fitted  up  as  a  hall,  to  be 
used  for  religious  meetings.  A  brick  building,  320  feet 
by  72  feet,  three  stories  high   with  a  basement,  is  now 

*23 


270 


HISTORY   OF    WARWICK. 


being  erected  near  the  iron  works,  and  is  designed  as  a 
cotton  mill.  The  mill  is  to  be  run  by  steam,  and  is 
under  the  sole  management  of  Mr.  Hill.  The  village  is 
not  large,  but  is  on  the  increase,  several  tasteful  dwell- 
ings having  been  erected  within  the  past  year  or  two, 
and  is  entitled  to  a  place  in  the  sisterhood  of  enterprising 
villages  in  the  town  of  Warwick. 


WARWICK   IN   THE   WAR   OF   THE   REBELLION. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  persons  who  entered  the  army, 
from  the  town  of  Warwick,  during  the  war  of  the  Southern 
Kebellion,  as  given  in  the  Adjutant  General's  Annual  Report, 
for  thfi  year  1865.  The  report  of  the  Adjutant  General  con- 
tains the  names  of  23,000  soldiers  credited  to  the  State  of 
Rhode  Island,  and  is  a  folio  of  more  than  800  pages  and  is  sup- 
posed to  contain  an  accurate  and  complete  list  of  all  who  were 
connected  with  the  army  as  soldiers,  during  the  war.  The 
following  list  contains  only  the  names  of  those  who  gave  their 
residence  as  Warwick  at  the  time  of  enlisting.  By  reason  of 
promotions,  transfers  to  other  regiments,  or  re-enlistments, 
several  of  the  names  appear  more  than  once  in  the  following 
record : — 

FIRST  REGIMENT,  RHODE  ISLAND  DETACHED  MILITIA. 


NAME  AND  RANK.      DATE  OF  MUSTEK. 


May  2,  1861. 


PRIVATES. 

Galliger,  William 
Morris,  John  F. 
Aldiich,  Alanson 
Arnold,  Henry  A. 
Warren,    William 
Barrows,  Byron  C. 
Murray,  James  T. 
Rhodes,  Robert 
Fisher,  Charles  H. 
Rhodes,  Benj.  C. 


Knight,  Wm.  A.     May  30,  1861. 
Rhodes,  Joseph  A.  May  2,  1861. 
Webb,  Thomas  C. 
Clark,  James 
Johnson,  Jas.  B. 
Leach,  Owen  L. 
Rhodes,  C.  C. 
Arnold,  John  R. 


cc 


Greene,  Tho's  L. 


REMARKS. 

Mustered  out  of  service  Aug.  2, 1861. 

C<  (I 

CC  CI 

((  (( 


CC 
CC 
CC 


Honorably   discharged  on   surgeon's 

certificate,  July  23,  1861. 
Mustered  out  of  service,  Aug.  2, 1861. 


CC 


Corporal;  July  8,   1861,  mustered  out 

Aug.  2,  1861. 
Mustered  out  Aug.  2,  1861. 


WARWICK   SOLDIERS. 


271 


NAME  AND  BANK.   DATE  OP  MUSTER. 
PRIVATES. 

Slocuni,  James  E.  May  2,  1861. 
Andrews,  Rob't  H.  «' 

Trask,  John  F. 
Weaver,  John  H. 


REMARKS. 


Mustered  out  Aug.  2,  1851. 
Aug.  1,  1861. 


cc 


SECOND  REGIMENT,  RHODE  ISLAND  VOLUNTEERS. 


CHAPLAIN. 

Beugless,  Jno.  D. 


Sep.  24,  1863. 


1st  LIEUT. 

English,  Sam'l  J.    June  6,  1861. 
Collins,  Moses  W.  " 

2d,  LIEUT. 

Gleason,  Chas.  W.  " 

Bates,  Clark  E.      Mar.  23,  1863. 


June  5, 1861. 
June  6,  1861. 

June  5,  1861. 


SERGEANT. 

Dawley,  Wm. 
Weaver,  Jas.  F. 

CORPORAL. 

Wells,  John 
Warner,  A.  L. 
Carter,  Albert  L. 
Lewis,  Joseph 
Greeue,  Francis  C. 


MUSICIANS. 

Tourgee,  Win.  H.  " 

Tenuant,  Jno.  H.  " 

Arnold,  Virginius  H.  June  6,  '61. 
Jenks,  Wm.  I.  " 

Greene,  Elisha      June  19,  1861. 

WAGONER. 

Bates;  Geo.  W.  June  5,  1861. 
Gallagher,  Dennis  " 

PRIVATES. 

Bellows,  Josiah  W.  Oct.  25,  '61. 
Boyling,  Peter  June  5, 1861. 
Black,  Samuel  " 

Briggs,  Chas.  E.     Sept.  3,  1862. 


Corey,  John  A. 
Cady,  Joel  E. 
Carrol,  James 
Church.  Benj.  J. 
Coville,  David  H. 
Cambell,  Patrick 
Crosby  .Samuel 
Crosby,  John  J. 

Donnelly,  Peter 
Fenner,  John 


June  5,  1861. 


Oct.  15,  1861. 
June  5,  1861. 


it 

<c 


Wounded  in  arm,  in  battle  Wilder- 
ness, May  5,  '61;must'd  out,  June 
17,  '64;  now  chaplain  U.  S.  Navy. 

Capt.  Co.  B,  Feb.  22,  1863. 
Resigned,  Dec.  27, 1862. 

Trans,  to  new  organization;  1st  Lieut. 
Died  July  18,  '63,  of  wounds  receiv'd 
at  battle  of  Salem  Heights. 

Disch'd  on  surg.  certif.  Mar.  20,  1863. 
"  "  July  3,  1861. 

"  "  Aug.  26,  1861. 

"  "  Aug  19,  1861. 

Mus'ered  out,  June  17,  18H4. 
Disch'd  on  surg.  certif.  Mar.  8, 1863. 
Wounded  in  leg,  at  battle  Bull  Run, 

July  21, '61;  prisoner  at  Richmond, 

6  mos.  disch'd  on  surg.  certificate. 

Disch'd  Aug.  26,  '62,  on  surg.  certif. 
Wounded,  July  21,  '61,  at  b.  Bull  Run. 
Mustered  out,  Jun-  17,  1864. 
Transferred  to  5th  TJ.  S.  A.  Feb.  4.'63. 
Disch'd  on  surg.  certif.  Jan.  1,  1862. 

Re-enlisted.  Dec.  26,  1863. 
Mustered  out,  June  17,  1864. 

Trans,  to  Co.  A,  new  organization. 
Deserted,  Dec.  4,  1862. 
Mustered  out  of  service,  Junel7,lP64. 
Wounded,  battle  Salem  Heights.May 

3,  '63;  must'd  out,  July  1,  1865. 
Discharged,  June  19,  1861. 
Disch'd  Oct  17,  '62,  on  surg.  certif. 
Deserted.  Oct.  18,  1862. 
Mustered  out  of  service,  Feb.  16,  1865. 
Disch'd  Aug.  18,  '62,  on  surg.  certif. 
Trans,  to  Co.  A,  new  organization. 
Disch'd  Aug  26,  'HI,  on  surg.  certif. 
Re-enlisted,  Dec.  26,  '63,  trans,  to  Co. 

A,  new  organization. 
Mustered  out  of  service,  June  17,  '64. 


272 


HISTORY   OF   WARWICK 


NAME  AND  RANK.       DATE  OF  MUSTER. 


REMARKS. 


PRIVATES. 

Fiunegan,  Owen  June  5,  1861. 
Flinn,  Thomas  " 

Funt,  Thomas  " 


Gorton,  Benj. 

Gleason,  Chas.  W.  " 

Grimes,  Thomas  " 

Henry,  Asa  B.  " 
HiU,  John  D. 

Jordan,  Jas.  B.    June  5,  1861. 

Lawton,  Warren  C.  " 


Lawton,  Ambrose  W.  " 

Lewis,  Job  " 
Levalley,  John 

Makee,  Alfred  O.  " 

Moon,  Sanford  E.  " 

Mahoney,  John  " 

McKay,  James  " 

Miner,  Chris.  June  6,  1861 

Nicholas,  Rich'd  " 


Northup,  Wm.  H. 
Rice,  Joel 


Roberts,  Henry  H. 
Speucer,  John  " 

Searle,  Edw'd  H.    June  5,  1861. 
Sheldon,  Henry  E.  " 

Sisson,  Nathan  A.  " 

Sprague,  George  " 

Sweet,  John  E.  " 

Tanuer,  Edwin  " 

Tourgee,  Alonzo     June  6,  1861. 

Warren,  Wm.  H.  " 

Whelan,  Peter  " 


White,  Wm. 

Whipple,  N.  B.     June  28,  1861. 
Wilson,  Elliot  E.  June  26,  1861. 


Deserted,  April  18,  1864. 

Mustered  out,  Juue  17,  1864. 

Wounded,  battle  of  Bull  Run,  July 
21,  1861,  discharged  Oct.  11, 1861, 
on  surgeon's  certif. 

Disch'd  Dec,  31,  '62,  on  surg'n's  certif. 

Re-enlisted  Dec.  26,  '63,  2d  Lieut.  Co. 
B,  July  16,  1864. 

Disch'd  April  26,  '62,  on  surg.  certif. 

Mustered  out,  June  17,  1864. 
Wound'd,  battle  Bull  Run,  July  21, '61, 
transf.  to  Co.  A,  new  organization. 
Killed, battle  Seven  Pines,  June,  25, '62. 

Re-enlisted  Dec.  26,  '63,  wounded  at 
battle  of  Wilderness,  May  12,  '64, 
transfer'd  to  Co  A,  new  org'nza'n. 

Killed,  battle  Wilderness,  May  12,  '64. 

Mustered  out,  June  17,  1864. 

Disch'd  March  27,  '62,  on  surg.  certif. 

Disch'd  Nov.  29,  '62,  on  surg.  certif. 

Sergeant,  supposed  mortally  wound- 
ed,May  3,  '63,  in  b.  SalemHeights. 

Transfer'd  to  western  Gunboat,  flo- 
tilla, Feb.  14,  1862. 

Re  enlisted,  Dec.  26,  '63;  transferred 
to  Co.  A,  new  organization. 

Died,  Nov.  18,  '62;  at  Wash.,  D.  C. 

Wounded  in  side,  at  battle  Wilder- 
ness, May  18,  '61:— slightly ;  cor- 
poral; imist'd  out,  June  17,  1864. 

Disch'd,  Mar  24,  '62,  on  surg.  certif. 

Corp'l,  Jan.  17,  '62,  supposed  mortal- 
ly wounded  battle  Salem  Heights, 
May  3,  1863. 

Disc'd  Sep.  26,  '  61,  on  surg.  certif. 

Died  June  28,  1862  at  New  York. 

Corp'l,  dise'd  Mar.  24,  '62,  on  s.  certi. 

Re  enlisted,  Dec.  26,  '63;  transferred  to 
Co.  A,  new  organization. 

Serg't,  musteredout,  June  17,  1864. 

Deserted,  Dec.  12,  1861. 

Mustered  out,  June  17,  1864. 

Corporal;  mustered  out.June  17,1864. 

Died  May  8,  '64,  near  Spottsylvaniaj 
Virginia. 

Wounded, battle  Bull  Run,  July  21, '61; 
disch'd  Sep.  23,  '62,  on  surg.  certi. 

Wounded  in  the  head,  battle  Salem 
Heights,  May  3,  '63;  serg't;  re-en- 
listed Jan.  26, '64;  transferred  to 
Co.  A,  new  organization. 

Confined  by  sentence  of  G.  C.  M. 
November  15,  1862. 

Disch.d  Sep.  26,  '61,  on  surg.  certif. 

Re-enlisted,  Dec  26,  '63;  transferred 
to  Co.  A,  new  organization. 


WARWICK   SOLDIERS. 


273 


NAME  AND  RANK.      DATE  OF  MUSTER. 
PRIVATES. 

Wilson,  Lewis  B.  June  29,  1861. 

Wilbur,  Frank  G.  " 

Goff,  John  " 

Mowry,  Chris.  Jan.  21,  1862. 

Harris,  Almon  D.  Jan.  4,  1862. 

Lowther,  George  Dec.  20,  1861. 

Vicory,  Sam'lT.  Oct.  14,  1861. 

McMahon,  Peter  Aug.  1,  1861. 

Baker,  Lewis  W.  Jul v  9,  1863. 

Blackmin,  W.  O.  Aug.  1,  1863. 

Greene,  Giles  E.  June  6,  1861. 

Tennaut,  C.  R.  Feb.  26.  1862. 

Bradford,  Alonzo  June  6,  1861. 


Andrews,  Jobn  T.  " 

Brien,  Dennis  June  5, 

Binns,  Robert  '" 


1861, 


Blanchard,  Win.  " 

Blauchard,  Ohas.  H.  " 
Bvron,  Patrick 

Brown,  Oliver  P.  " 

Brown,  Tho's  W.  " 

Curry,  John  " 

Card,  Wm.  M.  H. 
Dunn,  Geo.  B. 

Dyer,  James  Aug.  21,  1861. 

Gardiner,  Jeffrey    June  6,  1861. 
Gorton.  Martin  V.  B.        " 
Gerrard,  John  June  5, 1861. 

Greene,  Ezra  " 

Greene,  Daniel         June  6, 1861. 

Greene,  Nathan'l  C.  June  19, '61. 
Holmes,  Albert  C.  June  6,  1861. 
Holden,  John  " 

Jerard,  Jobn  " 

Kenyon,  Lowell  H.  " 

King,  James  A.  " 


Knight,  Wm.  H.     June  6, 1861. 
Mathewson,  Geo.  H.        " 
McNiff,  James  " 

Nicholas,  Lyman  June  5,  1861. 
Nicholas,  Dan'l  W.  June  6, '61. 
Pickford.  Jno.  N".  " 

Potter.  Wm.  H.  " 

Ray,  Thomas  " 


REMARKS. 

Corp'l,  Jane  25,'62;  killed  battle  Wil- 
derness, May  5,  1864. 

Mustered  out.  June  17.,  1864. 

Trans,  to  Battery  C,  1st  Light  Artil- 
lery, Dec.  10,  1863. 

Discharged. 

Discharged. 

Trans,  to  Co.  B,  new  organization. 

Discharged,  Mar.  21,  1862. 

Trans,  to  Co.  B,  new  organization. 

Trans,  to  Co.  C,  new  organization. 

Disch.,  Feb.  9,  ,62,  on  surg.  certif. 

Mustered  out,  Feb.  27,  1865. 

Prisoner  at  Richmond,  after  battle  of 
Bull  Run,  July  21,  18til ;  released 
from  Salisbury,  N.  C.,May  22,'62; 
discharged  on  surgeon, s  certif. 

Disch.  Sep.  30,  1861,  on  surg.  certif. 

Deserted,  June  19,  1861. 

Corporal,  April  1,  1862;  re-enlisted, 
Jan.  26,  1864:  wounded  in  left  leg, 
at  b.  Wilderness,May  6,'64:  trans- 
ferred to  Co.  C,  new  organization. 

Disch' (1,  Sep.  1,  '61,  on  surg.  certif. 

Mustered  out,  June  17,  1864, 


Musician;  re  enlisted,  Dec.  26,  1863; 

trans,  to  Co.  C,  new  organization. 
Dich'd,  Sep.  30,'  61,  ou  surg.  certif. 
Mustered  out,  June  17,  1864. 
Transf.  to  Co.  C,  new  organization. 
Mustered  out,  June  17,  1864. 
Disch'd,  April  4,  '63,  on  surg.  certif. 
Mustered  out,  June  17,  1864. 
Disch'd,  Jan.  29,  '63,  ou  surg.  certif. 
Mustered  out  of  service,  June  17,  '64. 

(died  at  Camp  Sumter,Aug.l864.) 
Disch'd,  Feb.  23,  '63,  on  surg.  certif. 
Deserted,  Oct.  12,  1862. 
"        Feb.  3,  1862. 

Trans,  to  V.  R.  O,  Feb.  15, 1864. 
Corpr'l;  wounded,  b.  Salem  Heights, 
May  3,  '63,;  re-enlis'd,  Dec.  26,'63, 
transf.  to  Co.  C,  new  organization. 
Mustered  out.,  June  17, 1864. 
Deserted,  Jan.  5,  1863. 

"  Dec.  5,  1862. 

Disch'd,  June  19,  '61,  on  surg.  certif. 
Corp'l;  mustered  out,  June  17,  1864. 
Disch'd,  Dec.  3,  '62.  on  surg.  certif. 
Deserted,  Dec.9,  1862. 
"  Dec.  5,  1862. 


274 


HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


NAME  AND  RANK.      DATE  OF  MUSTER. 


REMARKS. 


PRIVATES. 

Simmons,  Jno. 
Sweet,  Benoni 


Graves,  Sam'l  W.  June  5,  1861. 


Greene,  Albert 
Hunt,  Wm.  H. 
West,  Lorin  S.  H. 


B.    June  5, '1861.     Mustered  out,  June  17,  1864. 

June  6, 1861.     Serg't;  re-enlisted.  Dec.  26,  '63;  trans, 
to  Co.  C,  new  organization. 
Wounded,  Bull  Run,  July  21,  '61 ;  pris- 
oner, Richmond,  July  24,  '61;  re- 
leased from  Salisbury,  N.  C,  May 
22,  '82;  killed,  May  12,  '64,  battle 
Wilderness. 
June  6,  1861.     Discharged,  July  20,  1862. 
June  5,  1861.     Mustered  out,  June  17,  1864. 
July  8,  1863.     Transf.  to  Co.  A,  new  organization. 


SECOND  REGIMENT,  R.  I.  VOL.,  (RE-ORGANIZED) 


2D  LIEUT. 

McKay,  Jas. 


March  29,  1865. 


SERGEANT. 

Wheelan,  Peter  Jan.  26,  1864. 

Sweet,  Benoni  Dec.  26,  1863. 

CORPORAL. 

Campbell,  Pat'k  Oct.  15.  1861. 
Lawton,  Warren  C.  Dec.  26,  '63. 

King,  Jas.  A.  " 

Hagan,  Dan'l  H.  Sep.  15,  1864. 

Rowlev,  Wm.  H. 

Miller,  Henrv  R  Dec.  17, 1864. 


Dec.  26,  1863. 
J  an.  18,  1865. 

Dec.  26,  1863. 
Feb.  27, 1865. 


MUSICIAN. 

Curry,  John 
Arnold,  V.   A. 

WAGONER. 

Bates,  Geo.  W. 
King ,  Benoni  A. 

PRIVATES. 

Bellows,  Josiah  W.  Oct.  24,  '61. 
Croselv,  John  J.       Dec.  26,  1863. 
Sbeldon,  Henry  E.  Dec.  25,  '63. 
Lowther,  Geo.         Dec.  23,  1861. 
Wilson,  Elliot  E.     Dec.  26,  1863. 
West,  Lorin  A.        July  8,  1863. 
Baker,  Lewis  W.    July  9,  1863. 
McMahon,  Peter 
Binns,  Robert 
Blackinan,  W.  O. 
Dver,  James 
Crawford,  Francis  D.Oct.  31,  '64. 
Holmes,  Geo.  O. 
Hathaway,  Edwin  C.       " 
Sherman,  Elisha  S.  " 


Sheldon,  Geo.  G. 


Aug.  1,  1861. 

June  2".,  1864. 

Aug.  1,  1863. 


Wounded  at  Petersburg,  Apr.  6,  1865; 
mustered  out.  July  13, 1865. 

In  Slaterlee  hospital,  Phila.,  Pa. 
Wounded,   severely,    at  Petersburg, 
Va. ;  ser'tmaj.,  March  29, 1865. 

Mustered  out,  Oct.  19,  1864. 

Serg't,  Nov.  8,  '64;  mustered  out,  July 

13,  1865. 
Serg't,  Dec.  16,  '64;  died.  May  15,  '65, 

in  hospital  at  Philadelphia. 
Mustered  out,  June  20,  1865. 

CI  c< 

Wounded,  Apr.  2,  1865,    Petersburg, 
Va. ;  mustered  out,  July  6,  1865. 

Mustered  out,  July  13,  1865. 


Mustered  out,  July  13,  1865. 


Mustered  out,  Nov.  4,  1864. 
July  13,  1865. 

Dec.  21,  1864. 
Mustered  out,  July  13,  1865. 

Absent  in  hospital. 

Mustered  out,  Nov.  21,  1864. 

Disch'd  on  surg.  certif.  Feb.  17,  1865. 

Disch'd,  Jan.  11,  1865,  on  surg.  certif. 

Mustered  out,  Aug.  1,  1865. 

"  July  13,  1865. 

"  June  20,  1865. 

'•  (< 

Wounded,  Apr.  6,  '65,  near  Petersb'g, 
Va. ;  corp'l;  mustered  out,  June 
20,  1865. 

Mustered  out,  June  20,  1865. 


WARWICK    SOLDIERS. 


£75- 


NAME  AND  RANK.      DATE  OF  MXTSTER. 
PRIVATES. 

Crandall,  Geo.  R.  Dec.  10,  1864. 
Cahoone,  Alonzo 
McElroy,  Patrick  " 

Johnson,  Almon  W.  Jan.  11,  '65 
Slocurn,  Henry      Jan.  21 ,  1865. 
Wells,  James  D.    Jan.  16,  1865. 


REMARKS. 

Mustered  out  July  13,  1865. 

Wounded  at  Petersburg,  Va.,  April  2, 
'65;  mustered  out,  July  6,  1865. 
Mustered  out,  July  13,  1865. 
Died.Feb.  4,'65,  at  New  Haven, Conn. 
Mustered  out,  July  13,  1865. 


FOURTH   REGIMENT,    R.   I.   VOLUNTEERS. 


ASST.  SURGEON. 

Dedrick,  Albert  C 


Oct.  2,  1862. 


Resigned  and  honorably  discharged 
for  disability,  Nov.  8,  1864. 

CORPORAL. 

Coggshall,  Thos.  J.Oct.,  30,  1861. 

Collins,  Rhodes  T.  W.Oct.  30. '61.  Disch.  July  1,  1863,  on  surg.  certif. 

Martin,  Edward  "  Sergeant;  mustered  out,  Oct.  15, 1864. 


PRIVATES 

Finnegan,  Hugh  July  7,  1862. 


Hodson,  Robert 
Lockerin,  James 
Shakeshaft,  Geo. 


Oct.  30,  1861 
it 

Aug.  15, '62, 


Burlingame,  Benj.W.  Aug. 


Capwell,  Jno.  W.  Oct 
Chappell,  Geo.  W. 
Cooke,  Henry  N. 
Gardiner,  Andrew  J. 
Corey,  John  W. 
Gardiner,  Warren  D. 
Johnson,  Rich'd  M. 
Johnson,  Stephen 
Leary,  John 
McKee,  Andrew 
Madison,  Jas.  N. 
Caswell,  Wm.  A 
uuffy,  Michael 
Johnson,  John  T 
McShane,  John 


30,  1861. 


Wounded, battle  Antietam,Sep.l7,'62; 
wounded  in  head,  before  Peters- 
burg, July  30,  1864. 

Re  enlisted,  Jan.  5,  1864. 

Mustered  out,  Oct.  15,  1864. 

Wounded  in  side,  Petersburg,  Va., 
July  30,  '64:  died  in  New  York,in 
hospital,  Aug.  18,  '64,  of  wounds. 
7,  '62,  Corporal;  wounded,  Sep.  17,  1862,  at 
battle  Antietam;  wounded,  Dec. 
13,  1862,  at  battle  Fredricksburg. 

Disch'd,  Feb.  27,  1863,  on  surg.  certif. 

Discharged.  Nov.  3,  1862. 

Discharged,  Dec.  14,  1861. 

Transferred  to  V.  R.  C,  Feb.  15,  1864. 

Disch'd.  Sep.  25,  1863,  on  surg.  certif. 

Transferred  to  Co.  K, 

Corporal;  mustered  out,  Oct.  15,  1864. 


July  17,  1862. 
Oct.  20,  1861. 


Aug.  29,  1862. 


Pike,  Ephraim        Oct.  30,  1861. 
Tillinghast.  Chas.  E.        " 
Tanner,  Edw.  B.  " 

Whitman,  Reuben  A.      il 
Abbott,  Abial  J.  N.         " 


Andrews,  Geo.  E. 
Triraball,  John  A. 


Re-enlisted,  Feb.  1, 1864. 

Killed,  Oct.  21,  1862,  at  Sandy  Hook. 

Mustered  out,  Oct.  13,  1864. 
"  Aug.  11,  1862. 

Re  enlisted,  June  5,  1864. 

Disch.,  June  2,  1863,  on  surg.  certif. 

Wounded,  Dec.  13,  1862,  at  Fredricks- 
burg; deserted,  Dec.  20,  1862. 

Killed,  Sep.  17,'62,  at  b.  Antietam. 

Re  enlisted,  Feb.  1,  1864. 

Trans,  to  V.  R.  C,  Maich  31,  1864. 

Re-enlisted,  Jan.  5, 1864. 

Died, Sep.  17, 1863,of  wounds  received 
at  Antietam. 

Mustered  out,  Oct.  15,  1864. 

Wounded  in  hand,  July  30,1864,  at  Pe- 
tersburg, Va. ;  mustered  out,  Oct. 
15,  1864. 


276 


HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


NAME  AND  RANK.      DATE  OP  MUSTEK. 
PRIVATES. 

Brownell,  Dan'l  W.Oct.30,1861. 
Crosby,  Samuel 
Campbell,  Bern'd 


Hewes,  John 
Duffy,  John 

Hopkins,  Henry  V. 


Lawton,  Benj.  F. 
Lewis,  Benoui 
Marone,  Matbew 

Negle,  David 
Sunderland,  Wm.  N. 
Wbaylen,  James 
Arnold,  Oliver  H. 
Coggsball,  Tbos.  J. 


Cook,  Constant  C.  Aug.  7,  1862. 


Chase,  Joseph         Oct.  30,  1861. 
Gorton,  Charles  A. 


Slocum,  Charles  F. 
Thurston,  Ricb'd  H. 


REMARKS. 

Disch.  Sep.  20,  1832,  on  surg.  certif. 

Disch.,  Sep.  26,  1862,  on  surg.  certif. 

Woi.nded,  Antietam;  disch.,  Dec.  3, 
1862,  on  surgeon's  certificate. 

Mustered  out,  Oct.  15,  1864. 

Wounded  at  Antietam,  mustered  out, 
Oct.  15,  1864. 

Corporal;  wounded,  Sep.  17,  1862,  at 
Antietam;  died,  Oct.  26,1862,  of  ty- 
phoid fever. 

Mustered  out.  Oct.  15,  1864. 

Corporal;  " 

Wounded,  Sep.  17,  1862,  at  Antietam; 
disch.  May  22,  1863,on  surg.certif. 

Disch.,  Sep.  22,  1862,  on  surg.certif. 

Re-enlisted,  Feb.  1, 1864. 

Disch.,  Sep.  7,  1862,  on  surg.  certif. 

Mustered  out,  Oct.  15,  1864. 

Re-enlisted,  Feb.  1,  1864,  corporal; 
missing  in  action  July  30, 1864;  re- 
turned July  30, 1864, 

Deserted,  Sep.  17,  1862;  apprehended 
in  U.  S.  service,  May  1,  1864,  at 
New  Orleans. 

Mustered  out,  Oct.  15,  1864. 

Corp'l ;  sergeant :  taken  prisoner  July 
30,  1864,  at  Petersburg,  Va. ;  died, 
Nov.  22,  1864,  at  Salisbury,  N.  C. 

Re-enlisted,  Feb.  2864. 

Sergt.  wounded,  July  30,  1864,  in  leg, 
at  Petersburg. 


NINTH  REGIMENT,  R.  I,  VOLUNTEERS. 


ASST.  SURGEON 

King,  Henry 

CAPTAIN. 

Bowen,  John  A. 

1st  LIEUT. 
Spink,  Geo.  A. 
Holden,  Randall 

2d  LIEUT. 
Potter,  Wm.  H. 
Howard,  Rich'd  W, 

SERGEANT. 

Potter,  John  C. 
Nichols,  Wm.  C. 
Remington,  Horace 
Williams,  Crawford  R.  " 
Hill,  Benjamin 
Davis,  Jeffrey  G. 
Babson,  Henry  P. 
Atwood,  Ambrose  L. 

CORPORAL. 

Whipple,  Nathan  B. 
Arnold,  Lewis  G.,  Jr. 


May  26,  1862.     Mustered  out,  September  2,  1862. 


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WARWICK   SOLDIERS.  277 


NAME  AND  RANK.      DATE  OP  MUSTER.  REMARKS. 

CORPORAL. 

Devlin,  John       May  26,  1862.  Mustered  out  September  2,  1862. 

Gilmore,  George              "  "                              " 

Remington,  John             "  "                              " 

O'Donnell,  Hugh             "  "              .                " 

Weaver,  JR.                  "  "                            " 

Tabor,  Hollis,  Jr.  Died  August  13,  1862,  in  hospital,  of 

inflammation  of  the  brain. 

Hill.  Win.  F.  Mustered  out  September  2,  1862. 
Read,  James  R. 
Bushee,  James 
Lanphear,  Geo.  T. 

MUSICIANS. 

Tourgee,  Geo.  R. 

Woodmansie,  H.  H. 

Spencer.  David  "  "  " 

Baxter,  Daniel  "  "  " 

WAGONER. 

Roberts,  Henry  H.  "  "  " 

PRIVATES. 

Gardiner,  Ferdinand  A.' ;  "  •' 

Arnold,  Albert                 "  "  " 

Bennett,  Allen  H. 

Baker,  Win.  H.                "  "  " 

Brown,  Peter                   "  "  " 

Bowen,  Samuel  E.           "  "  " 

Bigelow,  Joseph               "  "  " 

Browning.  Wm.  B.,        "  "  " 

Provost,  Harrison  May  26,  3862.  In  hospital  at  Washington  and  not 

since  heard  from. 

Peagot,  Henry                 "  Mustered  out  September  2,  1862. 

Prew,  Charles  H.             "  "  " 
Qnigley,  John 
Roberts,  Lewis 

Reagan,  Patrick               "  "  " 

Randall,  Samuel  J.        "  "  " 

Rice,  Ambrose                 "  "  " 


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Smith,  Francis  "  "  " 

Sherman,  Elisha  O.  "  "  " 
Sherman,  Elisha 
Spencer,  William  C. 
Spencer,  Lewis  T. 

Spellacy,  Michael  " 

Spencer,  George  A.  "  "  " 

THcker,  Wm.  H.  "  "  " 

Tathroe,  Edward  "  •«  " 

Tibbitts,  Joshua  W.  "  "  " 

Wilson,  John  "  "  " 

Wilbur,  Oliver  T.  "  "  " 

Wood,  Alonzo  G.  "  "  " 

Youngs,  Warren  "  "  " 

Bicknell,  Jesse  "  "  " 

Ball,  Nathaniel  G.  "  "  " 

Baker,  Edward  P.  "  "  " 

Carew,  John  "  "  " 

Cady,  Daniel  W.  "  "  " 

Carroll,  Peter  "  "  " 

24 


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278  HISTORY   OF  WARWICK. 


NAME  AND  BANK,      DATE  OF  MUSTER.  REMARKS. 

PRIVATES. 

Diman,  Wm.  H.    May  26,  1862.      Mustered  out  September  2,  1862. 

Dawley,  Geo.  W. 

Fanning,  James  F. 

Farmer,  Thomas 

Franklin,  Cornelius 

Gardiner,  Charles  C. 

Goodness,  Peter 

Hunt,  Wm. 

Hews,  Thomas 

Jenkins,  Zeph. 

Londue,  Zeb. 

Lindsey,  Thomas 

McAlancey,  James 

Morris,  Charles 

Miller,  Joseph 

McMann,  Patrick 

McDonnell,  James 

McArthur,  John 

Nichols,  Henry 

Noon,  Michael 

Northup,  Wm .  H. 

O'Donnell,  Felix 

Owen,  Frederick 

O'Niell,  Wm. 

O'Neill,  John 

Piatt,  Robert 

Barney,  Daniel 

Ballou,  Charles 

Barber,  Wilcox 

Brown,  William  T. 

Barber,  Lillibridge 

Ballon,  Henry  W. 

Crandall,  Alfred 

Congdon,  George  R. 

Clarke,  Oliver  H. 

Cottrell,  Benj.  H. 

Cooke,  Henry  N. 

Graves,  Samuel 

Harvey  Edward, 

Jenckes,  Sanmel  C. 

Jackson,  Alfred  A. 

Locke,  Mosier 

Johnson,  George  C. 

Morris,  Bernhard 

Northup.  Rufus  H. 

Nichols,  Geo.  A. 

Owen,  Thomas 

Phelon,  Ray  B. 

Price,  William 

Price,  Henry  W. 

Place,  Elisba 

Pollard,  Geo.  H.  W. 

Rice,  Wm.  H. 

Sherman,  Simon  G. 

Stone,  Alonzo  P.  "  Discharged. 

Spencer,  George  W.        "  Mustered  out  September  2,  1862. 


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WARWICK   SOLDIERS. 


279 


NAME  AND  RANK.      DATE  OF  MUSTER. 


REMARKS. 


PRIVATES. 

Spencer,  Otis 
Searle,  Nelson 
Tew,  B.  Greene 
Taylor,  William 
To'wnsend,  R.  W. 
Vaughan,  B.  Edgbert 
Wilbur,  Edward  J. 
Weaver,  Jerome 
Browne,  George  B. 
Hewes,  James 


May  26,  1862.      Mustered  out  September  2,  1862. 


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TENTH  REGIMENT  RHODE  ISLAND  VOLUNTEERS. 


PRIVATES. 

Arnold,  Sam'l  A.  W.  May  26,  '62 

Browning,  Jobn  G. 

Harris,  Wm.  A 

Hubbard,  Wm.  H. 

Wickes,  Reuben 

Sbeldon,  Geo.  F. 

Robinson,  Henry  W. 


Mustered  out  September  1,  1862. 


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SEVENTH  REGIMENT,   RHODE  ISLAND  VOLUNTEERS. 


CHAPLAIN. 

Howard,  Harris     Sept.  6,  1862. 

CAPTAIN. 

Remington,  James  H.     " 


FIRST  LIEUT. 

Perkins,  Benj.  G.  Nov.  16,  1863. 


SERGEANT. 

Potter,  H.  W.        Sept.  6,  1862. 
Trask,  Jobn  F. 
Spencer,  James  B. 


Makee,  Frank  J. 

CORPORAL. 

Smith,  Chas.  H. 
Wood,  Wm.  T. 

Bowmau,  George 

PRIVATES. 

Tourgee,  Samuel  W. 


Budlong,  Benjamin 


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Resigned,  June  3, 1863. 

Wounded  severely  at  the  battle  of 
Fredricksburg,  Va.,  Dec.  16,  1862; 
discharged  May  2,  1863,  on  surg. 
certificate. 

Resigned  and  honorably  discharged 
on  account  of  disabilitv,  July  20, 
1864. 

Deserted,  April  11,  1863. 
Transferred  to  V.  R.  C,  Jan.  15,  1864. 
Died,    March    6,    1863,    at  Newport 

News,  Va. 
Discharged  Feb.  5,  1863. 

Mustered  out,  Julv  7,  1865. 
Sergeant.    Died,   Sept.   10,   1862,    at 

Nicholasville,  Ky. 
Transferred  to  new  organization,  Oct. 

21,  1864. 

Wagoner.  Wounded,  battle  Fred- 
ricksburg, Va.,  Dec.  13,  1862; 
transferred  to  Co.  A,  new  organ- 
ization, Oct.  21,  1864. 

Slightly  wounded,  Dec.  13,  1862,  at 
battle  Fredricksburg,  Va. ;  died 
Jan.  10,  1863,  at  Washington  of 
wounds. 


280 


HISTORY  OF   "WARWICK. 


NAME  AND  RANK.      DATE  OF  MUSTER. 
PRIVATES. 

Eldridge,  James  E.  Sept.  6,1862. 
Harrington,  Albert  " 


Blanchard,  John  E.         " 
Carr,  Clark  " 

Taylor,  John  H.  " 
Sniff,  Daniel  " 

Smith,  Joseph  " 

Austin,  Joseph 

Briggs,  Geo.  W.  " 

Covill,  Geo.  W.    Jan.  26,  1864. 
Cornell,  Martin    Sept.  6, 1862. 

Gradwell,  James 

Greene,  George  D. 
Hodson,  James 


Hopkins,  Arnold 
Mowry,  Benjamin 

Rice,  John  S. 


Sweet,  James  W. 
Sweet,  John  C. 
Sweet,  Charles  E. 
Taylor,  James  J. 


Taylor,  Stephen  P. 
Thurston,  Caleb 

Wilson,  Wm.  R. 


REMARKS. 

Transferred  to  Co.  C,  new  organiza- 
tion, Oct  21,  1864. 

Wounded  slightly  in  leg,  August  9, 
1864;  transferred  to  Co.  C,  Oct. 
21,  1864. 

Transferred  to  Co.  E,  new  organiza- 
tion, Oct  21,  1864. 

Discharged  March  12,  1863,  on  Sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Transferred  to  Co.  F,  new  organiza- 
tion, Oct.  21,  1864. 

Killed  Dec.  13,  18ti2,  at  battle  of 
Fredricksburg.  Va. 

Killed  Dec.  13,  1862,  at  battle  of 
Fredricksburg,  Va. 

Corporal.  Wounded  slightly  in  head, 
June  16,  1864,  at  Petersburg; 
transferred  to  Co.  H,  new  organi- 
zation, Oct.  21, 1864. 

Transferred  new  organization,  Oct. 
21,   1864. 

Transferred  new  organization,  Oct. 
21,  1864. 

Wounded  in  head,  May  14,  1864,  at 
Spottsylvania,  C.  H. ;  died  June 
14,  1864,  at  Annapolis,  Md. 

Wounded  in  head,  May  14,  1864,  at 
Spottsylvania,  C.  H. ;  transferred 
to  Co.  H,  new  organization,  Oct. 
21,  1864. 

Transferred  to  Co.  H,  new  organiza- 
tion, Oct.  21, 1864. 

Mortally  wounded,  June  6,  1864,  in 
skirmish  at  Cold  Harbor;  died 
same  day. 

Transferred  to  V.  R.  C,  Jan.  15, 1864. 

Transferred  to  Co.  H,  new  organiza- 
tion, Oct.  28, 1864, 

Wounded  slightly  in  hand,  July  13, 
1863,  at  Jackson,  Miss. ;  killed 
May  i8,  1864,  at  Spottsylvania, 
C.  H. 

Discharged,  Dec.  9, 1862,  on  Surgeon's 

Discharged,  Oct.  25,  1862,  on  Sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Transferred  to  Co.  H,  new  organiza- 
tion, Oct.  21,  1864. 

Wotinded,  June  8,  1864,  at  Peters- 
burg; transferred  to  Co.  H,  new 
organization,  Oct.  21,  1864. 

Died,  April  12, 1864,  at  Annapolis.Md. 

Discharged,  March  1,  1864  on  Sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Discharged,  March  19,  1863,  on  Sur- 
geon's certificate. 


WARWICK   SOLDIERS. 


281 


NAME  AND  RANK.      DATE  OF  MUSTER. 


PRIVATES. 

Arnold,  Israel  B. 


Sept.  6,  1862. 


Gidney,  Charles  P. 
Mott,  Caleb,  Jr. 

Roberts,  Henry  A. 


REMARKS. 

Corporal.  Wounded,  slightly  at  Fred- 
ricksburg;  transferred  to  Co.  I, 
new  organization,  Oct.  21, 1364. 

Transferred  to  Co.  I,  new  organiza- 
tion, Oct.  21,  1864. 

Wounded  severely,  Dec.  13,  1862 
Fredricksburg;  transferred  to  V. 
R.  C,  Nov.  3,  18i)3. 

Wounded  slightlv  in  arm,  June  29, 
1864,  at  Petersburg,  Va. 


SEVENTH  REGIMENT,  R.  I.  VOLUNTEERS,  (REORGANIZED.) 

1ST  LIEUT. 

McKay,  John,  Jr.  Dec.  21,  1864.   Mustered  out,  June  9,  1865. 

CORPORAL. 

Burlingame,  Benj.W.   Aug.  7,  '62. 
Austin,  Joseph      Sept.  6,  1862. 
Arnold,  Israel  B.  " 

WAGONER. 

Tourgee,  Samuel  W.        " 

PRIVATES. 

Bowman,  George  " 

Slocum,  Chas.  F.     Feb.  1,  1864. 

Eldridge,  James  E.  Sept.  6.  1862. 

Harrington,  Albert  " 

Owen,  Thomas  T.     Jan.  24,  1865. 

Duffee,  Michael     Jan.  5,  1864. 

Sullivan,  Michael    Nov.  8,  1862. 

Sunderland,  Win.  N.  Feb.  1,*64. 

Tillinghast,  Chas.  E.        "  "  " 

Whitman,  Reu.  A.   Jan.  5,  1864.    Died,  March  21,  1865,  in  hospital. 

Blanchard,  John  E.  Sept.  6,  1862.  Mustered  out,  June  9,  1865. 

Taylor,  John  H.  "  " 

July  7, 1862. 

Jan.  5,  1864. 

Feb.  9,  1864. 


June  16,  1865. 
June  9,  1865. 


July  13,  1865. 
June  9,  1865. 


Deserted,  March  11,  1865. 
Mustered  out,  July  13,  1865. 


Fiunegan,  Hugh 
Hudson,  Robert 
Leary,  John 


July  13,  1865. 


Briggs,  Geo.  W. 
Coville,  Geo.  W. 
Gradwell,  James 
Greene,  Geo.  D. 
Mowry,  Benjamin 
Sweet,  Cbarles  E. 
Taylor,  James  J. 
Gibuey,  Charles  P. 
Roberts,  Henry  A. 


"  Deserted,  January  23,  1865. 

Jan.  26,  1864.     Mustered  out,  July  13,  1865. 
Sept.  6, 1862.    Mustered  out,  June  9,  1865. 


ELEVENTH  REGIMENT,  RHODE  ISLAND  VOLUNTEERS. 

1862.Mustered  out,  July  13,  1863. 


CORPORAL,. 

Simmonds,  Edwin  R.Oct 

PRIVATES 

Austin,  Stephen  A.  " 

Jennison,  Thomas 
Stone,  Daniel  J.  ' 

Cornell,  Joseph  H. 

*24 


Not  on  October  roll. 


282 


HISTORY  OF   "WARWICK. 


REMARKS. 


Mustered  out,  July  13,  1863. 


NAME  AND  RANK.      DATE  OP  MUSTER. 
PRIVATES. 

Cooper,  Henry     Oct.  1,  1862. 

Cox,  John  W.  " 

Wing,  John  "  •'  " 

Greene,  Albert  R. 

Greenman,  Walter  P.     " 

TWELFTH  REGIMENT,  R.  I.  VOL.,  REORGANIZED. 

ASST.  SURGEON. 

King,  Henry        Oct.  20,  1862.      Resigned,  May  13,  1863. 

CAPTAIN. 

Spink,  George  A.  Oct.  13, 1862.     Mustered  out,  July  29,  1863. 

2D  LIEUT. 

Weaver,  John  H.    April  26,  1863.  "  " 

SERGEANT. 

Slocum,  Albert  A.  Oct.  13, 1862.  "  " 

Weaver,  Jonathan  R.     "  " 

CORPORAL. 

DeVolv,  Warren  N.        " 


Transferred  to  Co.  G,  Jan.  2, 1863;  dis- 
charged, June  l,1862,on  surg.certif. 
Mustered  out,  July  29,  1863. 
Sergeant;  mustered  out,  July  29,  '63. 


Mustered  out,  July  29,  1863. 


Webb,  Thomas  C. 
Cornell,  Joseph  P.  " 

MUSICIANS. 

Kiernan,  Thomas  " 

Andrews,  John  F.  Oct.  24,  1862. 

Baxter,  Daniel  "  " 

Tourgee,  George  B.Oct.  13,  1862.  Died,  May  1, 1863,  near  Richmond.Ky. 

PRIVATES  . 

Mustered  out,  July  29,  1863. 
Wounded      at    Fredricksburg,     Va., 

mustered  out,  July  29, 1863. 
Mustered  out,  July  29,  1863. 
Died,   Jan.   16,   1863,  at  Camp,   near 

Falmouth  Va. 
Died,   Jan.    15,   1863,   of  Wounds,   at 

Portsmouth  Grove  Hospital. 
Mustered  out,  July  29, 1863. 
Wounded  slightly,   Dec.  13,  1863,   at 

Fredricksburg,  Va. ;  mustered  out, 

July  29,  1863. 
Mustered  out,  July  29,  1863. 


Blanchard,  Rufus  R.     " 
Brown,  Francis 

Hudson,  Wm.  M.  " 

Wood,  Geo.  W.      Oct.  13,  1862. 

Whitman,  Hiram 

Remington,  Henry  A.   " 
Whitman,  Jasper  P.      " 


Clark,  James 
Mattison,  Lewis  J. 
Wilbur.  Edward  J. 
Franklin,  Geo.  W. 
Mitchell,  Rich'd  F. 
Higgins,  Chris. 

Dickinson.  Geo. 
Essex,  James 
Tew,  ElishaG. 
Tibbitts,  Horace  W. 
Tyler,  Henry  O. 
Cameron,  Donald 
Whipple,  Lowrey 
Bowman,  Chas.  E. 


« 


Killed  accidentally,  Oct.  23,  1862. 
Mustered  out,  July  29, 1863. 

Discharged,  March  16,   1863,  on  surg. 

certificate. 
Mustered  out,  July  29, 1863. 


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July 

11,  1863,  on   surg 

WARWICK   SOLDIERS. 


283 


NAME  AND  RANK.      DATE  OP  MUSTER. 


REMARKS. 


PRIVATES. 

Brown,  Wm.  D. 
Cady,  John  G. 

Cady,  Calvin  L. 
Cady,  Daniel  W. 
Cook,  Thomas 
Hutter,  Thomas 
Matteson,  Geo.  E. 
Northup,  Wm.  H. 
Place,  Wm.  H.  H. 
Remington,  H.  A. 
Smith,  Francis 


Oct.  13,  1862. 


Mustered  out,  July  29.  1863. 
Discharged,  March  31,  1863,  on  surg. 

Deserted,  Oct.  21,  1862. 
Mustered  out,  July  29,  1863. 

Si  << 

Died,  April  6,  1863. 
Mustered  out,  July  29,  1863. 


Howard,  John  D. 


"  Transferred,  Nov.  28,  1862,  to  Co.  A. 

"  Wounded  slightly,   Dec.   13,  1862,  at 

Fredricksburg,      Va. ;     mustered 
out,  July  29,  1863. 
"  Wounded  severely  in  ankle,  Dec.  13, 

1862.  at  Fredricksburg;   mustered 
out,  July  29, 1863. 
Phillips,  Wm.  R.  "  Mustered  out,  July  29,  1863. 

HOSPITAL  GUARDS,  RHODE  ISLAND  VOLUNTEERS. 

PRIVATES. 

Johnson,  Alfred  A.  Dec.  6,  1862.  Corporal;  mustered  out,  Aug.  26,  '65. 
Locke,  Mark  "  Mustered  out,  Aug.  26,  1865. 

FIRST  REGIMENT,  R.  I.  CAVALRY. 

SERGEANT. 

Rhodes,  Jos.  A.     Dec.  14,  1861.     Discharged    to    accept    commission, 

September  1,  1863. 
Smith,  Wm.  L.     March  3,  1862.     Discharged,  January  5,  1864. 

CORPORAL. 

Bates,  Willard  H.  Dec.  14,  1861.  Sergeant;  re-enlisted,  Jan.  5,  1864. 
Gorton,  Ray  G.     March  3,  1861.     Re-enlisted,  Feb.  6,  1864. 
Chappell,  Win.  A.  Dec.  14, 1861.  Discharged,   May  19,   1862,    on  surg. 

certificate. 

MUSICIAN. 

Fish,  Kinder  " 

PRIVATES. 

West,  Geo.  W.  " 

West,  Hiram  " 


Discharged,  June  18,  1862. 

1  Taken  prisoner,  Dec.  1,  1863. 

'  Taken  prisoner,  Oct.  12,  1863;  prisoner, 

March  31,    1864;   died,   in  Ander- 
sonville,  Ga.,  June  15,  1864. 
Barbour,  Ezra  S.  "  Discharged. 

Dowd,  Oliver  "  " 

Fairbanks,  Manfred  Mar.  10,'62.  Discharged,  Oct.  7,  1862,  on  surg.  cer. 
Kettelle,  James      Dec.  14,  1861.     Taken  prisoner,    Oct.   12,   1863;  died, 

June  6,1864,  at  Andersonville,Ga. 
McKee,  Wm.  H.  Dec.  14,  1861.     Re-enlisted,  Jan.  5,  1864. 

Corporal;  taken  prisoner, June  18,  '63. 

paroled,  mustered  out,Oct.lO,  '64. 

1  Discharged,   Aug.   5,   1863,   on    surg. 

certificate. 
'  Discharged,  Aug.   10,   1863,   on  surg. 

certificate. 
1  Taken  prisoner,  June  18,  1863;  exch'd; 

re-enlisted,  Jan.  5,  1864. 


Northup,  Geo.  S. 
Peirce,  Preserved  R. 
Spencer,  Eben 
Tourgee,  Wm.  H. 


284 


HISTORY  OF   WARWICK. 


NAME  AND  RANK.      DATE  OF  MUSTER. 
PRIVATE?. 

Atwood,  Nathan   Dec.  14, 1861. 


Greeue,  Samuel  R. 
Bennett,  Wm.  H. 
Collins,  Gilbert  L. 
Johnson,  Jas.  B. 


Johnsou,  Alfred  A. 

Neild,  Samuel       Sept.  4,  1862 


REMARKS. 

Sergeant;  taken  prisoner,  June  18, 
1863;  exchanged;  re-enlisted,  Jan. 
5, 1864. 

Taken  prisoner,  June  18,  1863;  ex- 
changed; re-enlisted,  Jan.  5,  1864. 

Taken  prisoner,  March  17,  1863;  ex- 
changed ; mustered  out,Oct.lO,'64. 

Re-enlisted,  Jan.  5.  1864;  transferred 
to  the  Navy,  April  29,  1864. 

Re-enlisted,  Jan.  5,  1864;  transferred 
to  troop  D,  new  organization,  De- 
cember 21,  1864. 

Discharged,  May  6.  1862. 
"  Nov.  30,  1862. 


Sunderland,  Wm.  H.Dec.l4,1861.Re-enlisted,  Jan.  5,  1864. 
Durden,  Bobert  " 


Dec.  31,  1861. 
Dec.  14,  1861. 


Rice,  Caleb 
Spink,  Wm.  R 


Taken  prisoner,  Aug.  9,  1862;  exchd; 
taken  prisoner,  Oct.  12, 1863;  died, 
Aug.  5,1864,  at  Andersonville.Ga. 

Discharged,  Dec.  22, 1862,  on  surg.cer- 
tiricate. 

Deserted,  July  20, 1862. 
Discharged,   June  13,  1862,   on  surg. 
certificate. 

Discharged,  Jan  17, 1863,  on  surgeon's 
certificate. 

Corporal;  taken  prisoner.Sept.  15/62. 

Not  accounted  for  on  the  rolls. 
Henry  P.  Aug.  15, 1862.  Wounded,  March  17,  18K3 ;  discharged, 

Aug.  28,  1863,  on  surg.  cert  if. 

Disch.  Feb.  13,  1863,  on  surg.  certif. 

Corporal;  taken  prisoner,  June  18, 
1863;  exchanged;  re-enlisted,  Jan. 
5,  1864. 

Mustered  out,  Nov.  11,  1864. 

Wounded,  Sept.  14,  1863;  taken  pris- 
oner, Oct.  12,  1863. 

Deser  ed,  July  18,  1862. 

Discharged.May  2, 1862,on  surg.certif. 


Harrington,  Amos 

Lowther,  Henry 
McMillan,  Wm. 

Nason,  Chas.  H. 

Parkinson,  Benoni 
Greene,  SainuehN, 
Jordan 


Dec.  14,  1861. 


Coggshall,  Edwin  L 
Clarke,  Geo.  L. 

Card,  Benj.  S. 
Iugraham,  Rufus  L. 


FIRST  REGIMENT,  R.  I. 

COM.  SERGE  ANT. 

Atwood,  Nathan     Jan.  5,  1864. 

CORPORAL. 

Greene,  Samuel  R. 

PRIVATES. 

Spink,  Wm.  R.      Jan.  5,  1864. 
Clark,  Geo.  L.     Dec.  14,  1861. 
Gorton,  Bay  G.      Feb.  6,  18(54. 
Bates,  Willard  H.  Jan.  5,  1864. 
McKee,  Wm.H. 
Tourgee,  Wm.  H.  " 

Bennett,  Wm.  H.  Dec.  14,  1961. 

Johnson,  Jas.  B.     Jan.  5,  1864. 
Sunderland,  Wm.  A.      " 


CAVALRY,  (REORGANIZED). 

Mustered  out,  Aug. 3,  1865. 

Sergeant,  May  1,  1865;  mustered  out, 
Aug.  3,  1865. 

Mustered  out  of  service,  June  6,  1865. 
Prisoner  of  war,  since  Oct.  12,  1863. 
Mustered  out,  Aug.  3,  1865. 


Prisoner,   exchanged;  mustered  out, 

Oct.  10,  1864. 
Mustered  out,  Aug.  3,  1865. 


WARWICK   SOLDIEES. 


285 


NAME  AND  BANK.      DATE  OF  MUSTER.  REMARKS. 

SEVENTH  SQUADRON,  R.  I.  CAVALRY. 


Mustered  out,  Sept.  26,  1862. 


cc 

<< 

It 
(( 

Sept.  25, 1862. 
Sept.  26, 1862. 

WAGONER. 

Havens,  Harris    June  24,  1862 

PRIVATES. 

Greene,  Ezbon  A.  " 

Gardiner,  Nicholas  B.  " 

Hall,  Edwin  W.  " 

James,  Lewis 

Martin,  Joseph  "  " 

Rice,  Win.  T. 

Wood,  Jason  F.    June  24,  1862.    Mustered  out,  September  26,  1862. 

SECOND  .REGIMENT,  RHODE  ISLAND  CAVALRY. 


PRIVATES. 

Harvey,  Edward  Nov.  21,  1862. 
Costley,  Joseph     May  4,  1863. 


Transferred  to  troop  I,  3d  R.  I.  Cav- 
alry, Jan.  14,  1864. 

Transferred  to  troop  I,  3d  R.  I.  Cav- 
alry, Jan.  14,  1864. 


THIRD  REGIMENT,  RHODE  ISLAND  CAVALRY. 


CAPTAIN. 

Barney,  Wm.  C.    Sept.  15,  1863. 

SERGEANT. 

Sweet,  Alonzo  B.  Sept.  12,  1863. 

CORPORAL. 

Gorton,  Benjamin 

PRIVATES. 

Gorton,  Benjamin 

Caloran,  John 

Cook,  Thomas  " 


Cook,  Rowland  C.  " 

Briggs,  James  P.  Dec.  17,  1863. 
Cady,  Joel  E.,  Jr.  " 

Smith,  Francis 

Little,  Robert        Jan.  9,  1865. 
Mitchell,  James  M.  " 


Sweet,  Wm.        June  18,  1864. 
Budlong,  Wm.  H.  Apr.  15,  1864, 
Carriugton,  David  W.      " 
Salisbury,  Daniel  L.        " 
Slater,  Albert  H.  " 

Costley,  Joseph    Nov.  13,  1862, 
Haney,  Edward      Oct.  16,  1862. 

Martin,  Patrick    June  18,  1864. 
Martin,  Patrick  " 


Resigned,  Feb.   29,  1864,  on  account 
of  disability. 

Wounded,  Aug.  16, 1864,  near  Mobile, 
Ala. ;  mustered  out,  Oct.  25,  1865. 

Discharged,   July  12,   1865,   on    sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Deserted,  Dec.  13,  1863. 
Mustered  out,  Nov.  29, 1865. 
Corporal.  Taken  prisoner;  exchanged 

July  27,  1864;  Deserted,   July  26, 

1865. 
Mustered  out,  Sept  29,  1865. 
Nov.  29,  1865. 
Farrier.     Mustered  out,  Nov.  29,  1865. 
Died,   Sept.  9,  1864,  at  New  Orleans, 

of  chronic  diarrhoea. 
Deserted,  Aug.  14, 1865. 
Taken  prisoner,    May   18,  1864,   near 

Sim's   Port,  La. ;  returned,  Dec. 

10, 1864;  mustered  out,  Aug.  1,'65. 
Sergeant.  Mustered  out,  Nov.  29, 1865. 
Deserted,  June  27,  1864. 
"         July  11,  1865. 
Mustered  out,  Nov.  29,  1865. 
Died,  August  9, 1864,  at  New  Orleans, 

La. 
Mustered  out,  Nov.  13,  1865. 
Drowned,  Dec.  22,  1864,  on  passage 

from  New  Orleans  to  New  York. 
Mustered  out,  Nov.  29,  1865. 


286  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


NAME  AND  RANK.      DATE  OF  MUSTER.  REMARKS. 

PRIVATES. 

Harry,  Charles  E.  June  26,  1864.  Absent,  sick,  Nov.  29,  1865. 

Smith,  Edison  B.  Feb.  27,1864.     Corporal;  Sergeant;     Mustered  out, 

Nov.  29,  1865. 
Briggs,  James  E.  June  18,  1864.  Mustered  out,  Nov.  29,  1865. 


THIRD  REGIMENT,  R.  I.  HEAVY  ARTILLERY. 

COLONEL. 

Bravton,  C.  R.       Oct.  9, 1861.       Mustered  out,  Oct.  5,  1864. 

2d  liedt. 
Birney,  Wm.  C.  "  1st  Lieutenant,   March  11,  1862;   re- 

sigued,  June  25,  1863. 

SERGEANT. 

McElroy,  James  Aug.  14,  186 L.     Discharged,  Dec.  21,  1862. 
Slocum,  James  W.  Feb.  14,  1862.  Mustered  out,  March  17,  1885. 

COKPOBAL. 

Davis,  Geo.  W.  S.    Feb.  7,  1864.  Sergeant.     Mustered  out,  August  27, 

1865. 

MUSICIAN. 

Gardiner,  Geo.  W.    Oct.  5. 1861.     Mustered  out,  Oct.  5,  1864. 
Glearv,  James  "  "  " 

Card.'Wm.  H. 

ARTIFICER. 

Gorton,  Wm.  W.    Feb.  14,  1862.    Discharged,  April  29,    1862,  ou  sur- 
geon's certificate. 

PRIVATES. 

Benchlev,  Wm.  A.    Feb  1,  1862.  Mustered  out,  Jan.  31,  1865. 

Fallow,  John       Aug.  20,  18S1.      Killed  in  action,  April  9,  1863,  near 

Port  ltoval  Ferry. 

Harrington,  David  T.  Feb.  13,'62.  Died  April  20, 1862,  at  Hilton's  Head  , 

S.  C. 

Wallin,  David      Aug.  20,  1861.      Discharged,   Feb.   17,   1862,   on   sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Byron,  Thomas  "  Discharged,   April  4,    1865,    on   sur- 

geon's certificate. 

Bennett,  Almon  G.,  Jr.Dec.  28,'64.  Mustered  out,  August  27,  1865. 

Cavanagh.  Thomas  Jan.  24,  1864.  "  " 

Dalton,  Michael  "  Corporal,  July  1,  1865;  mustered  out, 

August  27,  1865. 

Decker,  Geo.  W.  March  22,  1862.  Mustered  out,  April  12,  1865. 

Hall,  John  C.  Oct.  5,  1861. 

Kelley,  Thomas  "  Mustered  out,  August  27,  1865. 

Kinnecome,  C.  G.  "  "  " 

Wade,  John  "  "  " 

Mason,  Michael  H.  Jan.  29,  1862.  "  Jan.  29,  1865. 

Brophy,  Wm.  F.     Oct.  5,  1861.      Reenlisted,  Jan.   20,    1864;  mustered 

out,  June  9,  1865. 

Downie,  Wm.  "  Reenlist6d,  Jan.  20,  1864;   mustered 

out,  June  9,  1865. 

Blaisdell,  Jer.  A.  "  Mustered  out,  Oct.  5,  1864. 

Clark,  Elijah  "  "  August  27,  1865. 

Barbour,  James  D.  Jan.  22,  1862.  Died  Dec.  10,  1863,  at  Morris  Island, 

S.  C. 


WARWICK   SOLDIERS. 


287 


NAME  AND  RANK.   DATE  OF  MUSTER. 
PRIVATES. 

Crowley,  James     Aug.  21,  1861. 
Arnold,  Philetus  H.        '« 


Arnold,  Thatcher 
Burroughs,  Wm. 

Burns,  Patrick 

Cavanaugh,  Thos.  A.  Oct.  5,  1861 

Connolv,  James 

Hall,  John  C.        Oct.  5,  1861. 

Kelley,  James  " 

Kelley,  Patrick  " 

McGuinis,  Michael  " 

Mason,  Michael  H.  Jan.  29,  1862. 
Smith,  James        Oct.  5,  1861. 
Byron,  Thomas  " 

Bennett,  Philetus  H.      " 
Baker,  Wm.  H. 

Dalton,  Thomas  E.  July  10,  1863 
Dougherty,  John    Oct.  5,  1861. 


Dougherty,  Peter 
Dalton,  Michael 
Dyer.  Edward  T. 
Evans,  Raymond  R. 
Finn,  John 
Elvin,  William 
Hazard,  Wm. 
Hunt,  Samuel 


REMARKS. 

Killed,  August  19,  1864,  on  way 
north  to  he  mustered  out. 

Wounded,  June  16,  1862,  in  action  on 
Jones  Island,  S.  C. ;  reenlisted, 
Jan.  24,  1864,  mustered  out,  Aug. 
27.  1865. 

Transferred  to  Co.  A.,  Jan.  1,  1862. 

Died  Aug.  12,  1852,  at  Hilton  Head, 
S.  O,  of  wounds. 

Mustered  out,  Oct.  5,  1864. 

Reenlisted,  Jan.  24,  1864      Corporal. 

Mustered  out,  Oct.  5,  1864. 

Mustered  out,  Oct.  5,  1864. 

Died,  August  4,  1883,  at  Hilton  Head, 
S.  C. 

Mustered  out,  Oct.  5,  1864. 

Discharged,  May  26, 1863,on  surgeon's 
certificate. 

Transferred  to  Co.  B,  Sept.  15,  1864. 

Corporal.   Mustered  out,  Oct.  5,  1864. 

Reenlisted,  Jan.  24,  1864. 

Sergeant.   Mustered  out,  Oct.  5,  1864. 

Reenlisted,  Jan.  24,  1864;  mustered 
out,  Oct.  5,  1864. 

Transferred  to  Co.  M,  Sept.  12,  1864. 

Discharged,  Nov.  9,  1861,  oh  sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Corporal.  Mustered  out,  Oct.  5,  1864. 

Reenlisted,  Jan.  24,  1864. 

Mustered  out,  Oct.  5,  1864. 


!< 
II 


Hacket,  Edward 

Jordan,  Winchester 
Jordan,  Daniel 
Kelley,  Thomas 
Kinnecome,  Charles 
Kenyon,  Isaac  C. 
McArthur,  John 

Stewart,  Silas  H. 

Wade,  John 
Calvin,  John 


Woolly,  John 
Barbour,  Miles 
Butterworth,  James 
Sullivan,  Patrick 
Brayton,  Luther  E. 


Discharged,  Dec.  18,  1862,  on  sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Died,   April  21,  1862,  at  Dawfiif-kie's 

Island,  S.  C. 

Mustered  out,  Oct.  5,  1864. 
K  it 

Reenlisted,  Jan.  25,  1864. 
.(  ci 

Mustered  out,  Oct.' 5,  1864. 
Discharged,  «Jov.    9,    1861,  at    Fort 

Hamilton.  N.  Y. 
Died,  July  30,  1863,  at  Fort  Pulaski, 

Ga. 
Reenlisted,  Jan.  24,  1864. 
Wounded,    June  16,   1862,  in  action 

on  Jones  Island,  S.  C. ;  mustered 

out,  Oct.  5,  1864. 

Mustered  out,  August 31,  1864. 

Oct.  5, 1864. 
■i  <> 

Corporal.    Mustered  out,  Oct.  5,  1864. 
Mustered  out,  March  17,  1865. 


288 


HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


NAME  AND  RANK.      DATE  OF  MUSTEK. 


REMARKS. 


PRIVATES. 

Clark,  Elijah        Sept.  2,  1861.        Transferred  to  Co.  D,  Feb.  24,  1865. 
Gardner,  Wm.  A.  Mar.  17,  1862.   Discharged,  Oct.  4,  1862,  on  surgeon's 

certificate. 

FIFTH  REGIMENT,  R.  I.  HEAVY  ARTILLERY. 


CORPORAL. 

Eddy,  Samuel  R.  Sept.  10,  1862.    Taken  prisoner,  May  5,  1864;  died  in 

prison  at  Mellen,  Ga.,  Nov.  19,'64. 

Gleason,  Nathan  H.  Dec.  16, 1861.  Sergeant;  Mustered  out,  Nov.  20, 1864. 

Anthony,  Edward  G.  May  14,  '62.  Discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate, 

Dec.  1,  1862. 

PRIVATES. 

Collins,  Thomas    Dec.  27,  1861.    Taken    prisoner,     May    5,    1864,    at 

Croaton,  N.  C. ;  died  July.  1864, 
at  Andersonville,  Ga. 
Johnson,  Daniel  B.  Dec,  21,  1861.  Discharged,  Jan.   30,   1863,    on    sur- 
geon's certificate. 
Donnelly,  Robert  Dec.  16,  1861.    Mustered  out,  Nov.  21,  1864. 
Levalley,  Cromwell  Discharged,   Sept.   12,   1862,   on   sur- 

geon's certificate 
Mustered  out  Nov.  20,  1864, 
Discharged,  August  28,  1862,  on  sur- 
geon's certificate. 
Reenlisted,    Jan.    2,    1864;    mustered 

out,  Jan.  26,  1865. 
Corporal.  Mustered  out.  Nov.  21, 1864. 
Reenlisted,    Jan.    5,   1864;  mustered 

out,  June  26,  1865. 
Reenlisted,    Jan.   5,    1864;  mustered 

out,  June  26,  1865. 
Discharged,  Feb.  5,  1863,  on  surgeon's 

certificate. 
Reenlisted,   Jan.    2,   1864;    mustered 

out,  June  26,  1865. 
Discharged,    April    6,    1862,   on   sur- 
geon's certificate. 
Cadv,  Calvin  L.     Aug.  15,  1864.     Mustered  out,  June  26,  1865. 
Jenkin,  Wm.  C.  "  " 

Levalley,  Fred.  H.  "  "  " 

Arnold,  Stephen  G.  Dec.  27,  1862.  Transferred  to  Co.  I,  Jan.  12, 1863.* 
Arnold,  Stephen     •  "  Discharged  Aug.  5, 1863,  on  surgeon's 

•  certificate. 


Boylan,  James 
Bray,  William 

it 

Bicknell,  Mumford 

i< 

Crawford,  Isaiah, 
Comisky,  John  J. 

4( 

Martin,  Bernard 

(  '. 

Nutting,  John  W. 

I  C 

Reaves,  Henry  S. 

ct 

Septon,  George  T. 

(1 

FOURTEENTH  REGIMENT,  RHODE  ISLAND  HEAVY  ARTIL- 
LERY, (COLORED.) 

CORPORAL. 

Lowe,  Ishmael  R.  Sept.  14,  1863.  Died,   June   21,   at   New  Orleans  of 

syphilis. 
Sweet,  Pardon  S.  '*  Mustered  out,  Oct.  2,  1865. 

PRIVATES. 

Mason,  Isaac  "  Died,  May  25,  1864,  at  Pass  Cavallo, 

Texas,  of  typhoid  fever. 
Fry,  John  Feb.  18,  1865.  Mustered  out,  Oct.  2,  1865. 


WARWICK   SOLDIERS. 


2S9 


NAME  AND  RANK.   DATE  OF  MUSTER.  REMARKS. 

FIRST  LIGHT  BATTERY,  RHODE  ISLAND  VOLUNTEERS. 

PRIVATES. 

Ross,  David  G.      May  2,  1861.       Mustered  out,  Aug,  6,  1861. 
Snow,  Byron  D. 


TENTH  LIGHT   BATTERY,    RHODE   ISLAND    VOLUNTEERS. 

PRIVATES. 

Bailey,  Samuel      May  26,  1862.      Mustered  out,  Aug.  30,  1862. 

Bates,  Wm.  A.  " 

Bicknell,  Alfred  A.  "  " 

Browning,  Gardner  K.  "  "  " 

Campbell,  Fred 

Cameron,  Donald  "  "  " 

Carroll,  Joseph 

Murphy,  Patrick  " 

Riley,  Isaac,  " 

Somerville,  Wm.  " 

Tennaut,  Daniel  R.  " 

Wright,  David  H.  " 


it 
it 


FIRST  REGIMENT,  R.  I.  LIGHT  ARTILLERY. 

2D  LIEUT. 

Spencer,  Gideon    Sept.  4,  1861.     Prisoner,  at  battle  of  Ream's  station, 

Aug.  25,  1864;  Paroled;  1st  Lieut. 
May  16,  I860;  mustered  out,  June 

27,  1865. 
Sheldon,  Israel  R.            "               Resigned,  May  22, 1863. 

SERGEANT. 

Matteson,  Edwin  H.        "  Re-enlisted,  Jan.  31,   1864;    mustered 

out,  Julv  17,  1865. 

Buckley,  Thomas  Feb.  11,  1864.     Mustered  out,  June  24,  1865. 

Kent,  Jacob  F,  1st  sergeant,  June  9, 1862;  discharged, 

Sept.  15,  1862;  died  at  Pro  v.,  R.  I. 

CORPORAL,. 

Andrews,  Robt.  H.  Sept.  4,  1861.  1st  sergeant,  Nov.    1861;  re  enlisted, 

Jan.  31,  1864;  mustered  out,  July 
17,  1865. 

Allen,  Albert  F.      Oct.  14,1862.     Q.  M.  sergeant;  mustered  out,  June 

28,  1865. 

Williams,  Chas.  P.Sept.  30,  1861.  Sergeant.  Aiu?.  6,  1862;  mustered  out, 

Oct.  3,  1864. 

Hargraves,  Arthur  A.       '  Sergeant;  wounded  slightly,   July  3, 

1863,  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.  Mus- 
tered out,  Oct.  3, 1864. 

MUSICIAN. 

Arnold,  Nelson  H.  June  6,  1861.  Discharged,   July    13,   1861,   on  surg. 

certificate. 
Young,  Wm.  H.     Oct.  29,  1861.     Sick,  at  Newburn,  N.  C,  Oct.  29,1862; 

mustered  out,  Oct.  28,  1864. 
Locke,  Thomas  " 

ARTIFICER. 

Wilson,  Asa       Sept.  30,  1861         Discharged,  Mar.  23,1863,on  surgeon's 

certificate. 

25 


290 


HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


NAME  AND  RANK.      DATE  OP  MUSTER. 


REMARKS. 


PRIVATES. 

Blanchard,  Wm.  B.  Aug.  6, 1862,  In  Stone  Hospital,  Nov.  30, 
Hathaway,  Geo.  " 


18f>3. 


Wounded  slightly  in   shoulder,  July 
3,  1863,  at  Gettysburg,;  mustered 
out,  June  12, 1865. 
Discharged,  Sept.  5,  1861. 
61.  Re  enlisted,    Feb.   4,   1864;  Corporal; 
mustered  out,  June  12,  1865. 
Corporal;  mustered  out,  Aug.12.  1864. 
Wounded  severely,    Dec.  13.  1862,  at 
battle  ot  Fredricksburg,  Va. ;  dis- 
charged, March   13,   1863,  on  sur- 
geon's certificate. 
Killed,  Oct.  14,  1863,  at  battle  of  Bris- 

toe  station,  Va. 
Mustered  out,  Aug.  12, 1864. 
Buckley,  Thomas  Aug.  26,  1861.  Re-enlisted,  Feb.  11,  1864.     Sergeant. 
Flanagan,  John  "  Mustered  out,  Aug.  27,  1864. 

Lawton,  Nicholas  E.Aug.15,1862. Transferred  to  battery  G,  Dec.  23,  '64. 
Lawtou,  Nicholas  W.     '"  Corporal;  "  " 

Nicholas,  Henry  H.Aug.  6, 1862.  Transferred  "  " 


Andrews,  Albert  " 

Burliiigame,  Benj.  A.  Aug.13, 

Budlong,  StillmanH.      " 
Budlong,  Lorenzo  D.       " 


Hunt,  Chester  F. 
Niles,  Robert  A. 


Clarkin,  Henry 

O'Brien,  Patrick  July  21,  1862. 


Sullivan,  John 
Bennett,  Wm.  R. 
Arnold,  Geo.  E" 

Austin,  Allen 
Brown,  Wm.  W. 


Nov.  1,  1864. 


Aug.  11,  1862. 


Card,  Saml.  A.      Sept.  4,  1861. 
Carroll,  James      Feb.  21,  1862. 
Carrigan,  Thomas  April  15,  1864 
Carroll,  Edward     Sept.  4,  1861. 


Died,  in  Providence,  Aug.  13,  1863. 

Deserted,  Aug.  10,  1863. 

Prisoner  of  war,  Aug.  28,  1862;  ex- 
changed ;  mustered  out,Sept,3,'64. 

Mustered  out,  Sept.  3,  1864. 

Discharged,  June  23,  1865,  by  war  de- 
partment. 

Mustered  out,  Nov.  15,  1864. 

Discharged,  No  v.  20,  1862. 


Corey,  Augustus 
Doran,  Hugh 
Donnelly,  James 
Dickson,  John 
Ellis,  Leonard  G. 


Edwards,  Edwin  Sept.  4,  1861. 


Fairbrother,  Jas.  H. 
Galligher,  Chas. 
Grinell,  Robt.  A. 
Havens,  Wm. 


Hood,  Wm.  H. 
Holahan,  Thomas 
Jenkins,  Samuel 
Kiernau,  Ed.  M. 

Johnson,  Willet  A. 
Knowles,  John  B. 


Killed,   Sept.   16,   1862,   at  battle   of 
Antietam. 
"  Sick  with  injured  hip. 

Killed,  Aug.  28,  1862,  at  Bull  Run. 
li  Corporal,  mustered  out,  July  17, 1865. 

Deserted,  Dec.  27,  1862. 
Aug.  14,  1862.  Wounded  in  head,   Nov.   16,   1863,  at 
battle  of  Cambell   station,    Tenn. 
Discharged,  June  23, 1865. 
Discharged, Dec.  13,  1862,  on  surgeon's 

certificate. 
Mustered  out,  Sept.  3,  1864. 


July  17,  1865. 
slightly,  Dec.    13, 


1862,  at 
Va., 


Wounded 

battle    of     Fredricksburg, 
mustered  out,  Sept.  3,  1864. 

Deserted,  Sept.  26,  1861. 

Mustered  out,  Sept.  3,  1864. 

Re-enlisted,   Jan.  31,  1864,   mustered 

out,  July  17,  1865. 
Absent  without  leave,  Feb.  1864. 
Discharged,  Oct.  14,1861, on  surg.  certif. 


WARWICK   SOLDIERS. 


291 


NAME  AND  BANK.   DATE  OF.  MUSTER. 
PRIVATES. 

Kenyon,  John  B.    Sept.  4, 1861. 
Knight,  Edwin  R.  " 

McCanna,  John  " 

Mills,  Win. 

McQuade,  Patrick  Oct.  22,  1861 
McOausland,  Alex. Aug.  13,  1862 

Matteson,  Anson   Sept.  4,  1861. 

McKenna,  John  I  Aug.  13,  1862. 

Place,  John  E.        Sept.  4,  1861. 
Robbin,  Duty    |    Aug.  14, 1862. 


KEMAKKS. 


Rice,  John  E.        Sept.  4,  1861. 

Rice,  Win.  T. 

Rhodes,  Francis  W.        " 

Ross,  David  G.  " 

Stilluian,  Gideon«S,        " 
Sullivan,  Jeremiah  " 


Sunderland,  Henry  A.  " 
Sheldon,, Okas.  B. 


Tanner,  David  B.  " 

Tanner,  James 

Thibbitts,  Joshua  W.      " 

Vickery,  Wm.  H.  " 

Wilbur,  Geo.  W.  " 

Weeks,  Rice  A.  " 

Burlingame,  Geo.  H.       " 

Buckliu,  Edward  W.Aug.  14, '62- 

Burley,  Wm.  H.  Sept.  30,  1861. 
Bin  us,  Henry  " 

Buckliu,  Jeremiah  Aug.  14, 1862. 
Barb  >ur,  Geo.  W.Sept.  22,  1864. 
Beard,  Thomas  T.  Sept.  30,  1861. 
Cook, Isaac  " 

Crothers,  John  " 

Crolhers,  William  " 

Casey,  David      March  20,  1865. 
Caravan,  Sylvester   Sept.  30.  '61. 
Coville,  Geo.  W. 
Durfee,  Charles  " 


Mustered  out,  Sept.  3,  1864. 
Corporal,  mustered  out,  July  17,  1865. 
Mustered  out,  Sept.  3,  1864. 
"  July  17.  1865. 

.  Discharged,   June  23,   1865.  by  War1 

Department. 
Re-enlisted,    Jan.  31,  1864;  sergeant; 

mustered  out,  July  17,  1865. 
Discharged,  June    23,  1865,    by   war 

departmert. 
Transferred  to  V.  R.  C,  Feb.  15,1864. 
Missing,   Sept.    17,   1862,   at  battle  of 
Antietam. 
• 

Discharged,  March  8,  1862. 

Discharged,  Jan.  12,  1862,  on  surg. 
certif. 

Mustered  out  of  of  service,  Sept. 3,  '64. 

Corporal;  mustered  out,  July  17,1865. 

Wounded  in  shoulder,  Sept.  17,  1862. 
at  battle  of,  Antietam;  mustered 
out,  Sept.  3,  1864. 

Corporal;  discharged,  Dec.  8,  1862. 

Wounded  in  leg.  'Aug.  30,  1862;  dis- 
charged, Jan.  16,  1863,  on  surg. 
certif. 

Discharged  from  hospital,  date  un- 
known. 

Re-enlisted,  Jan.  31,  1864;  mustered 
out,  July  17,  1865. 

Discharged,  Nov.  12,  1861,  on  surg. 
certif. 

Discharged,  April  10,  1862. 

Wounded  slightly,  Dec.  13,  1862,  at 
Fredricksburg,  Va. 

Transferred  to  V.  R.  C,  Dec.  15,  1863. 

Missing,  June  30,  1862,  battle  before 
Richmond. 

Discharged,  Aug.  9,  1863,  on  surg. 
certif. 

Mustered  out,  Sept.  30,  1864. 

Wounded  slightly,  June,  30,  1862. 
battle  before  Richmond. 

Corporal;  mustered  out, June  14,1865. 

Transferred  to  Battery  F. 

Mustered  out,  Oct.  3,  1864. 

Discharged,  July  20,  1862,  on  surg. 
certif. 

Mustered  out,  Oct.  3,  1864. 

Mustered  out,  June  20,  1865. 
Deserted,  Aug.  31,  1863. 
Discharged,  Jan.  9,1863,  on  surg.  certif. 
Discharged,   Dec.   14,   1861,    on  surg. 
certif. 


292 


HISTORY  OF   WARWICK. 


NAME  AND  RANK.      DATE  OF  MUSTER. 
PKIVATES. 

Donually,  James,    Sept.  30,  '61. 
Devans,  Joseph  F.  " 

Fairbanks,  Adelbert  A.  " 


Hopkins,  Elijah    Sept.  22,  1864. 
Hilfon,  John        Sept.  30,  1861. 

Harrop,  Joseph  " 


REMARKS. 


Hollahan,  John 
Keegan,  John  F. 
Keenan,  Thomas 


.<< 


Mulhead.  John  I.  " 

Mason,  Win.         Feb.  25,  1862. 

Morse,  John  C.  " 

Martin,  John       Sept.  30,  1861. 
Mulligan,  James 
Poynton,  Richard  " 

Riley,  Israel,  " 


Straight,  Wm.  M. 

Sutcliffe,  Robert,   Mav  22,  1862. 
Wilson,  Albert  B.  Sept.  20,  1861. 
Williams,  Henry,  " 


Waterhouse,  Thomas 

Abbott,  Gilbert  W. 
Bryant,  Frank 


1862, 


BickneR  Jesse  B.  Apr.   1,  1862. 
Brvant,  Henry     July,  26,  1862. 
Barbour,  Geo.  W.  Sept.  22,  1864 
Bates,  Nathan       Oct.  29,  1861. 
Card,  Charles  D.  " 

Hopkins,  Elijah    Sept.  22,  1864. 
Love,  Henry  A.       Oct.  29,  1861. 


Locke,  Thomas  W.  " 

Miner,  William    July  22,  1862. 
Martin,  Patrick,     Oct.  29,  1861. 


Corporal;  1st  Sergeant.  Mustered  out, 
Oct.  3,  1864. 

Prisoner  of  war,  June  28,  1864;  ex- 
changed ;  mustered  out  Feb.  8,  '65. 

Slightly  wounded,  Dec.  13,  1862,  at 
Fredricksburg,  Va- ;  reenlisted, 
Dec.  14,  1863;  mustered  out,  June 
14,  1865. 

Transferred  to  Battery  F. 

Discharged,  March  14,  1862,  on  sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Killed,  June  30,  1862,  at  battle  before 
Richmond. 

Mustered  out,  Oct.  3,  1864. 

Transferred  to  V.  R.  O,  Aug.  13,  1863. 

Discharged,  March  14,  1862,  on  sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Cerporal;  mustered  out,  Oct.  3,  1864. 

Killed,  Dec.  13,  1862,  at  battle  of 
Fredricksburg,  Va. 

Reenlisted,  Dec.  21,  1863;  mustered 
out,  June  14,  1865. 

Deserted,  August  24,  1862. 
Nov.  16,  1862. 

Discharged,  Dec.  13,  1862,  on  sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Wounded  slightly,  July  2,  1863,  bat- 
tle Gettysburg;  prisoner  of  war, 
June  £8,  1864;  at  Camp  Parole, 
Jan.  18,  1S65;  mustered  out,  Feb. 
8,  1865. 

Discharged,  Sept.  19,  1862,  on  sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Mustered  out  of  service. 

Oct.  3,  1864. 

Discharged,  Dec.  1,  1862,  on  surgeon's 
certificate. 

Bugler;  discharged,  July  1,  1863,  on 
surgeon's  certificate. 

Corporal;  mustered  out,  Oct.  28,1864. 

Discharged,  Sept.  1, 1862,  on  surgeon's 
certificate. 

Mustered  out,  April  5,  1865. 
"  June  7,  18K5. 

"  June  27, 1S65. 

"  duly  7,  1865. 

Reenlisted,  Dec.  12,  1863;  wagoner; 
mustered  out,  June  27,  1865. 

Mustered  out,  June  7,  18H5. 

Wounded,  March  27.  1862,  while  on 
picket  near  Newburn;  mustered 
out,  Oct,  28,  l.S'U. 

Bugler;  mustered  out,  Oct.  28,  1864. 

Mustered  out,  June  7,  1865. 

Reenlisted,  Feb.  16,  1864;  Sergeant; 
mustered  out,  June  27,  1865. 


WARWICK   SOLDIERS.  293 


NAME  AND  RANK.      DATE  OF  MUSTER.  REMARKS. 

PRIVATES. 

Miuer,  Joseph  Oct.  29,  1861.    Reenlisted,  Feb.  16,  1864;  Corporal; 

mustered  out,  June  27,  1865. 
Keddy,  Thomas    May  17,  1862.     Mustered  out,  May  18,  1865. 
Sheldon,  Geo.  H.     Oct.  29,  1861*  "  Oct,  28,  1864. 

Whitman,  Reuben  "  Discharged,  Oct.  20, 1862,  on  surgeon's 

certificate. 
Baker,  Francis  B.    Mar.  11,  1862  Bugler;  mustered  out,  March  11, 1865. 
Collins,  John        Dec.  2,  1861.        Reenlisted,   Dec.  23,  1865;  mustered 

out,  June  24,  1*65. 
Clarkin,  Henry     Aug.  6,  1862.      Mustered  out,  June  24,  1865. 
Greene,  Wm.  R.     Dec.  2,  1861.     Discharged,  Jan.  1,  1863,  on  surgeon's 

certificate. 
Huchings,  Thos.  B.  Mar.  17,  1862.  Reenlisted,  March  20,  1864;  wounded 

Oct.   19,  1864,  Middletown,  V. ;  in 

hospital. 
Lawton,  Nicholas  W.Aug.  15,  '62.  Mustered  out,  June  24,  1865. 
Lawton,  Nicholas  E.        "  "  " 

Nicholas,  Henry  A.  Aug.  6,  1862.         " 

Brown,  Geo.  \V.  "  Discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate. 

Kettelle,  John  B.  F.  Feb  23,  1864,  Veteran ;  mustered  out,  June  28, 1865. 
Phinney,  Henry  "  Died,  April  24, 1864,  near  Alexandria, 

Va.,  pneumonia. 
Turner,  Andrew    Oct.  14,  1862.     Eied,  Nov.  18,  1863,  at  Hope  Village, 

Dr.  Albert  G.  Sprague,  Assistant  Surgeon,  in  the  Tenth 
Regiment,  Rhode  Island  Volunteers,  enlisted  from  Providence, 
June  9,  1862;  mustered  out,  Sept.  1st,  1862;  re-enlisted  in 
7th  R.  I.  "Volunteers,  Sept.  6,  1862;  mustered  out,  June  9,  1865. 

Dr.  Job  Kenyon,  Assistant  Surgeon,  enlisted  from  Coventry, 
in  ad  Rhode  Island  Heavy  Artillery,  Sept.  25,  1862;  resigned, 
Jan.  10,  1863. 

George  Sears  Greene,  born  in  Warwick,  R.  I.,  May  6,  1801; 
graduated  at  West  Point  Military  Academy,  in  1823;  commis- 
sioned Colonel  of  the  60th  Regiment,  N.  Y.  Volunteers;  in 
1862,  he  was  appointed  by  the  President  and  Senate  a  Briga- 
dier General.  At  the  battle  of  Antietam,  a  horse  was  killed 
under  him,  and  at  Wauhntchie,  was  severely  wounded,  a  rifle 
ball  passing  through  his  face.  In  June,  1865,  he  was  detailed  as 
President  of  a  general  court  martial,  in  which  duty  he  re- 
mained until  the  close  of  the  war.  Of  his  sons,  Samuel  Dana 
Greene,  was  the  executive  officer  of  the  Monitor  from  the 
time  she  went  into  commission  until  she  foundered  off  Cape 
Hatteras.  Brevet  Major  Charles  T.  Greene  enlisted  in  the  22d 
N.  Y.  National  Guard.  In  the  battle  of  Ringold,  Georgia,  he 
lost  his  right  leg  by  a  cannon  shot. 

The  war  commenced  April  12,  1861,  with  the  bombardment 
of  Fort  Sumpter.  It  virtually  ended  with  the  surrender  of 
Gen.  Johnston  and  his  army,  April  26,  1865,  at  Durham  Sta- 
tion. Gen.  Lee  and  his  army  having  surrendered  several  weeks 
previously. 

*25 


APPENDIX. 


HISTORICAL    SKETCHES 


OF   THE 


CHURCHES    IN   WARWICK,   RHODE    ISLAND. 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  early  ecclesiastical  history  of  the  town  of  Warwick 
is  involved  in  much  obscurity,  and  no  reliable  evidence 
exists  of  the  formation  of  any  independent  church  for 
about  three-fourths  of  a  century  after  the  first  settlement 
in  1642.  That  a  respectable  portion  of  the  first  settlers 
were  Christian  people  there  is  no  doubt.  In  1639,  John 
Greene,  Richard  Waterman,  Francis  Weston,  Ezekiel 
Holliman,  Wm.  Arnold  and  Stukely  Westcott,  then 
residing  in  Providence,  united  with  six  others  in  church 
relation,  and  "  agreed  to  support  in  faith  and  practice 
the  principles  of  Christ's  doctrine."  These  six  men, 
whose  names  are  above-mentioned,  were  among  the 
earliest  settlers  of  this  town,  three  of  them  being  among 
the  original  purchasers  of  the  land.  Before  uniting  in 
church  relations  at  Providence,  they  had  become  "  con- 
vinced of  the  truth  of  believers'  baptism"  by  immersion, 
but  had  not  had  the  privilege  of  practicing  according  to 
their  faith.  There  was  no  minister  of  like  sentiments, 
who  had  been,  immersed,  to  administer  the  ordinance  of 
baptism,  and  to  meet  the  difficulty  tbey  selected  Ezekiel 

26 


298  HISTORY   OF  WARWICK. 


Holliman,  a  "  pious  and  gifted  man,"  to  baptize  Roger 
Williams,  which  was  accordingly  done,  when  Mr.  Wil- 
liams in  turn,  baptized  Mr.  Holliman  and  the  others. 
This  was  the  origin  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Provi- 
dence. Three  years  later,  one-half  the  constituent  mem- 
bers of  that  church  settled  within  the  limits  of  this  town. 
There  were  others  besides  them  who  were  professed 
Christians.* 

Though  it  does  not  appear  that  there  was  an  organ- 
ized church  in  the  town  for  a  considerable  period, 
there  are  evidences  that  Holliman,  Waterman  and  their 
associates  who  united  in  the  formation  of  the  church  at 
Providence,  still  retained  their  membership  in  that  body, 
visiting  it  as  often  as  they  found  it  convenient,  but 
holding  meetings  of  worship  in  their  own  town  as  a 
branch  of  the  mother  church.  We  have  found  no  posi- 
tive evidence  of  this,  however.  Rev.  John  Callender, 
then  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  at  Newport,  in 
his  famous  centennial  discourse,  published  in  1738,  al- 
luding to  the  First  Church  of  Providence,  says:  "This 
church  shot  out  into  divers  branches,  as  the  members 
increased,  and  the  distance  of  their  habitation  made  it 
inconvenient  for  them  to  attend  the  public  worship  in 
town.  Several  meetings  were  fixed  at  different  places, 
and  about  the  time  the  large  township  of  Providence 
became  divided  into  four  towns,f  these  chapels  of  ease 
began  to  be  considered  as  distinct  churches,  though  all 


*  On  March  13,  1639,  at  the  General  Court  in  Boston,  "John  Smith, 
for  disturbing  the  public  peace,  by  combining  with  others  to  hinder  the 
orderly  gathering  of  a  church  at  Weymouth,  and  to  set  up  another 
there,  contrary  to  the  orders  here  established,  and  the  constant  prac- 
tice of  all  our  churches,  and  for  undue  procuring  the  hands  of  many 
to  a  blank  for  that  purpose,  is  fined  £20,  and  committed  during  the 
pleasure  of  the  Court  or  the  Council."—  Mass  Col.  Bee.  I,  252. 

The  name,  John  Smith,  is  a  little  confusing.  Whether  it  was  the 
same  person  of  that  name  who  became  an  early  resident  of  this  town, 
and  was  President  of  the  Rhode  Island  Colony  in  1(549,  I  am  not.  able 
to  decide.  After  the  above  experience  from  the  Massachusetts  Court, 
he  would  have  been  likely  to  seek  more  hospitable  regions.  It  is 
known  that  some  of  the  Weymouth  faction  came  to  Khode  Island. 

t  This  was  in  January,  1730-1.—  Arnold,  Vol.  II,  102. 


INTRODUCTION.  299 


are  yet  in  a  union  of  counsels  and  interests."*  On  a 
subsequent  page,  he  says :  "There  are  in  the  nine  towns 
on  the  main  land,  eight  churches  of  the  people,  called 
Baptists,  one  in  every  town  except  East  Greenwich, 
where  there  is,  however,  a  Meeting  House,  in  which 
there  is  a  meeting;  once  a  month.f  In  a  note  he  adds 
the  names  of  Manasseh  Martyn  and  Francis  Bates  as  the 
elders  of  the  Warwick  Church.  Elder  Martyn  was  or- 
dained to  the  ministry  in  1725,  though  the  earliest  records 
of  this  church  extant  bear  the  date  ot  1741.$ 

Allowing  that  the  church  here  existed  as  a  branch  of 
the  First  Church  at  Providence  up  to  the  time  of  the 
division  of  the  town  of  Providence,  or  about  the 
that  time,  the  interval,  during  which  we  have  no  records 
of  a  distinct  church  would  be  accounted  for.  If  they 
were  only  a  branch  church,  their  records  would  probably 
be  merged  in  those  of  the  Providence  Church.  §  It  is 
well  known  that  the  doctrine  of  laying-on-of-hands,  was 


*  Branch  churches,  with  certain  delegated  powers  from  the  mother 
church,  among  which  were  the  privileges  of  celebratiug  the  com- 
munion and  admitting  members,  have  been  common  in  Six  Principle 
churches  from  time  immemorial.  The  membership  of  such 
"Branches"  was  recorded  with  that  of  the  parent  church.  See  ac- 
counts of  the  Crompton  Church  and  the  Bethel  of  that  order  on  subse- 
quent pages. 

t  In  1730,  says  Backus,  "there  were  thirteen  Baptist  churches, 
most  of  them  small,  who  held  annual  associations  to  promote  disci- 
pline and  communion  among  them  upon  the  six  principles  in  Hebrews 
VI." — Backus  Hist,  of  the  Baptists. 

%  Knight's  History,  p.  273. 

§  On  Friday,  May  28, 1875,  occurred  the  centennial  anniversary  of  the 
opening  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Providence,  when  an  interest- 
ing and  valuable  address  was  delivered  by  Hon.  Samuel  G.  Arnold. 
From  this  address  we  make  the  following  extract:  "The  church  rec- 
ords begin  in  April,  1775,  preceded  by  a  list  of  members  admitted  from 
December,  1774,  during  the  great  revival,  to  June  30,  1782.  Prefixed 
to  the  regular  records,  there  is  a  'History  of  the  Baptist  Church  of 
Christ  in  Providence,  Rhode  Island,  beiug  the  oldest  Baptist  Church 
in  America,'  with  an  introduction  prepared  in  1789,  by  John  Stanford, 
minister,  then  temporarily  acting  as  pastor  of  the  church.  This  is  a 
brief  summary  of  such  events  as  could  then  be  collected  respecting 
the  history  of  the  church  for  a  hundred  and  fifty  years,  from  its  foun- 
dation in  1(139.  Mr.  Stanford's  original  manuscript  of  twenty  folio 
pages,  is  preserved  in  the  archives  of  the  Society,  and  has  very 
properly  been  copied  into  the  first  volume  of  the  Church  records.     In 


300  HISTOKY   OF   WARWICK. 

held  by  the  First  Church  of  Providence,*  in  a  lax 
manner  at  its  beginning,  but  it  "  became  afterwards  a 
term  of  communion,  and  continued  so  until  after  Dr. 
Manning  came  among  them ;  he  prevailed  with  the 
church  to  admit  to  occasional  communion  those  brethren 
who  were  not  convinced  of  the  duty  of  corning  under 
hands ;  but  very  few  such  were  received  as  members  till 
after  his  death.  On  August  4,  1791,  the  church  had  a 
full  meeting,  when  this  point  was  deliberately  considered, 
and  a  clear  vote  was  gained  to  admit  members  who  did 
not  hold  that  doctrine.  But  notwithstanding  this  vote, 
the  laying-on-of-hands,  not  as  an  ordinance,  but  as  a 
form  of  receiving  new  members,  was  generally  practiced 
until  after  the  death  of  President  Manning,  f  The  first 
church  of  Warwick  was  of  the  Six  Principle  order. 

The  alternative  of  supposing  a  branch  church  during 
a  period  of  three-fourths  of  a  century  as  existing  here, 
would  be  that  of  supposing  the  strong  personal  influence 
and  peculiar  religious  opinions  of  Samuel  Gorton,  who 
was  a  preacher,  and  sustained  a  religious  meeting  during 
this  time,  prevented  the  formation  of  any  church,  or  the 
holding  of  any  meetings  that  were  not  in  accordance  with 
his  views.  At  first  we  were  inclined  to  this  view.  But 
upon  further  research  and  consideration,  the  alternative 
was  rejected.  That  Mr.  Gorton  held  a  meeting  during  this 
time  is  probable,,  but  that  the  nucleus  of  the  church, 
which  assumed  an  independent  existence  about  the  year 
1725,  had  existed  many  years  previous  as  a  branch  of 
the  First  Church,  Providence,  seems  worthy  of  credit. 

Some  account  of  Samuel  Gorton  and  of  his  peculiar 


1828,  a  small  pamphlet  was  printed  under  the  direction  of  the  late 
Nicholas  Brown,  then  President  of  the  Society,  containing  the  charter 
and  by  laws,  together  with  the  'minutes  of  the  early  proceedings  of 
the  Society  from  its  first  recorded  meetings  till  1793,  when  Dr.  Gano 
was  called  to  the  pastorate.'  In  this  tract  of  sixteen  pages,  are  pre- 
served a  complete  transcript  from  the  records  for  the  first  sixteen 
months  and  the  more  important  entries  till  the  calling  of  Dr.  Gano." 

*  Benedict's  Hist.  Vol.  I,  487. 

fDr.  Hague's  Bistorioal  discourse,  p.  107. 


INTRODUCTION.  301 


religious  views,  seem  appropriate  in  this  connection  as 
belonging  to  the  ecclesiastical  history  of  the  town. 
Though  no  church  was  formed  in  connection  with  his 
ministrations,  he  exerted  a  powerful  influence  upon  the 
religious  views  of  the  colony.  Benedict,  in  his  history, 
says:  "Callender,  Backus  and  others  who  have  spoken  of 
Gorton's  religious  opinions,  acknowledge  that  it  is  hard 
to  tell  what  he  believed,  but  they  assure  us  that  it  ought 
to  be  believed  that  he  held  all  the  heresies  that  were 
ascribed  to  him.  The  most  we  can  learn  is,  that  in  alle- 
gory and  double-meanings  of  scripture  he  was  similar  to 
Origen  ;  in  mystical  theology  and  the  rejection  of  ordi- 
nances, he  resembled  the  Quakers ;  and  the  notion  of 
visible  churches  he  utterly  rejected.""  That  he  held  all 
the  heresies  that  were  ascribed  to  him,  as  intimated  by 
Dr.  Benedict,  is  hardly  to  be  credited,  as  some  of  them 
.that  were  published  during  the  life  of  Gorton  in  "  Mor- 
ton's New  England  Memorial,"  were  distinctly  disa- 
vowed by  Gorton  himself.  The  remark  of  Dr.  Benedict 
is  too  sweeping,  and  does  not  accord  with  the  statement 
of  Callender,  who  says:  "There  are  sufficient  reasons  why 
we  ought  not  and  cannot  believe  he  held  all  that  are  con- 
fidently fathered  upon  him.  For  it  is  certain,  that,  what- 
ever impious  opinions  his  adversaries  imputed  to  him,  and 
whatever  horrid  consequences  the}7"  drew  from  the 
opinions  he  owned,  he  ascribed  as  bad  to  them  and  fixed 
as  dreadful  consequences  upon  their  tenets  ;  and  at  the 
same  time  in  the  most  solemn  manner,  denies  and  disa- 
vows many  things  they  charge  him  with  ;  above  all,  when 
he  is  charged  with  denying  a  future  state  and  judg- 
ment to  come,  both  in  theory  and  practice,  he  peremp- 
torily and  vehemently  denies  the  charge,  and  solemnly 
appeals  to  God  and  all  that  knew  him,  of  the  in- 
tegrity of  his  heart  and  the  purity  of  his  hands ;  and 
avers  that  he  always  joins  eternity  with  religion,  as  most 
essential.  And  that  the  doctrine  of  the  general  Salva- 
tionists was  the  thing  which  his  soul  most  hated. 
[Answer  to  Morton's  Memorial, — Calender,  p.  92]. 
Calender  further  says :     "He  strenuously  opposed  the 

*26 


302  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK. 

doctrines  of  the  people  called   Quakers.     I  am  informed 
that  he  and  his  followers  maintained  a  religious  meeting 
on  the  first  day  of  the  week  for  above  sixty  years,  and 
that  their  worship  consisted  of  prayers  to  God,  of  preach- 
ing, or  expounding  the  scriptures  and  singing  of  psalms." 
Dr.  Benedict  says :     "  He   was  a  leader  of  a  religious 
meeting   in  Warwick  above  sixty  years."     This  state- 
ment is  incorrect,   as  he  died  in  1667,  or  twenty-five 
years  from  the  founding  of  the  town.     The  statement  of 
Callender  will  come  nearer  to  the  truth  "  that  he  and  his 
followers  "  maintained  a  meeting  for  that  length  of  time. 
No  church  was  organized  by  him  or  his  followers,  but 
stated  seasons  of  worship  were  held  upon  the  Sabbath  in 
which  the  gospel  was  dispensed  freely  to  all  who  would 
listen  to  it.     Among  his  chief  heresies  were  the  rejection 
of  an  organized  visible  church  and  the  ordinances  con- 
nected with  it ;  and  from  these  peculiar  views  and  those 
of  minor  importance  which  grew  out  of  them,  sprang 
most  of  the  trouble  between  him  and  the  other  religious 
sects.     Morton  in  "  New  England's   Memorial,"  gave  a 
summary  of  Gorton's  religious  opinions,  which  was  pub- 
lished  during    Gorton's    life.      Gorton    wrote  to    Mr., 
Morton  denying  some  of  the  charges  made  against  him 
in  this  book,  especially  that   he  had  ever  asserted  that 
there  was  "  no  state  or  condition  after  death,"  and  says : 
"  I  appeal  to  God,  the  judge  of  all  secrets,  that  there 
never  was  such  a  thought  entertained  in  my  heart."     He 
further  says  in  answer  to  another  charge  :  "  we  never 
called  sermons  of  salvation,  tales  ;  nor  any  ordinances  of 
the  Lord,  an  abomination  or  vanity  ;  nor  holy  ministers, 
necromancers ;  we  honor,  reverence  and  practice  these 
things."     In  this  letter  he  refers  to  a  book  published  by 
Mr.  Winslow,  which  relerred  also  to  his  sentiments,  of 
which  Gorton  says  he  had  read  but  little,  but  was  in- 
formed by  Mr.  Brown,  who  had  been  a  commissioner  for 
the    United  Colonies,    that  "he    would    maintain   that 
there  were  forty  lies  published  in  that  book."     The  let- 
ter may  be  found  in  the  Appendix   to   Judge  Staples' 
edition  of  Simplicities'  Defence. 


INTRODUCTION.  303 


Without  attempting  to  state  the  religious  views  of 
Gorton  with  any  degree  of  precision,  it  may  perhaps  be 
safely  said  that  the  essential  gospel  truths,  as  held  by  the 
great  body  of  evangelical  christians  of  the  present  day, 
were  those  that  were  held  and  preached  by  this  somewhat 
singular  man.  That  the  difference  that  existed  between 
his  opinions,  with  the  exception  of  those  specially  noted, 
and  those  of  Williams  and  others,  was  rather  im- 
aginary than  real,  and  grew  out  of  the  peculiar  way  in 
which  he  expresssd  them,  is  evident.  His  published 
works  are  marvels  of  curious  composition,  with  sen- 
tences so  long  and  complicated,  that  it  would  make  a 
school-master's  blood  run  backwards,  to  analyze  and 
parse  them.  Among  these  works  the  reader  is  referred 
to  his  "  Incorruptible  Key,"  printed  in  London,  in  1647  ; 
"  Saltmarsh  returned  from  the  Dead,"  printed  in  1655; 
"Antidote  against  pharasaical  Teachers,"  and  "Anti- 
dote against  the  common  Plague  of  the  World  ;  "  ,;  Sim- 
plicities Defence  against  a  Seven  Headed  Church  Policy," 
published  in  England,  in  1646.  These,  with  a  manu- 
script commentary  on  the  Lord's  Prayer,  of  more  than  a 
hundred  pages,  now  in  possesion  of  the  R.  I.  Historical 
Society,  will  furnish  the  curious  reader  with  ample  ma- 
terial for  studying  the  religious  tenets  of  the  man.  His 
"  Simplicities  Defence,"  is  an  historical  narrative  of  the 
difficulties  between  the  early  settlers  of  this  town  and 
the  colony  of  Massachusetts,  growing  out  of  the  attempts 
of  the  latter  to  extend  its  jurisdiction  over  the  lands  and 
persons  of  the  former.  The  account  is  written  in  his 
peculiar  style,  but  is  regarded  as  a  fair  account  of  the 
origin,  progress,  and  issue  of  the  unhappy  controversy. 
Several  valuable  letters  that  passed  between  the  parties 
during  the  time,  are  included  in  it,  with  much  of  a 
rambling  theological  character,  in  which  the  author  de- 
lighted to  indulge.  The  work  is  dedicated  to  the  Earl 
of  Warwick,  whose  friendly  aid  was  received  and  duly 
acknowledged,  and  whom,  as  we  have  already  stated, 


304  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

the  settlers  honored  by  giving  his  name  to  their  town.* 
Gorton  was  a  man  of  acknowledged  native  talent,  and 
with  all  his  literary  abstrnseness  and  theological  com- 
bativeness,  exerted  a  large  and  for  the  most  part  a 
salutary  influence  in  the   community.     When  his  opin- 


*  As  a  matter  of  curiosity,  and  as  indicating  Gorton's  method  of 
thought  and  style  of  composition,  we  give  the  following  title  pages  to 
two  of  his  works,  his  "Incorruptible  Key,"  and  his  "Saltmarsh  re- 
turned from  the  Dead." 

"An  Incorruptible  Key,  composed  of  the  CX  Psalme  wherewith 
you  may  open  the  Rest  of  the  Holy  Scriptures:  Turning  itself  only 
according  to  ihe  Composure  and  Art  of  that  Lock,  of  the  Closure  and 
Science  of  that  Great  Mysterie  of  God  manifest  in  the  Flesh,  but  jus- 
tified only  by  the  Spirit  which  it  evidently  openeth  and  revealeth, 
out  of  Fall  and  Resurrection,  Sin  and  Righteousness,  Ascension  and 
Descension,  Height  and  Depth,  First  and  Last,  Beginning  and  Ending, 
Flesh  and  Spirit,  Wisdom  and  Foolishness,  Strength  and  Weakness. 
Mortality  and  Immortality,  Jew  and  Gentile,  Light  and  Darkness, 
Unity  and  Multiplication,  Fruitfulness  and  Barrenness,  Care  and 
Blessing,  Man  and  Woman,  All  Suffering  and  Deficiency,  God  and 
Man.  And  out  of  every  unity  made  up  of  twaine,  it  openeth  that 
great  two-leafed  Gate  which  is  the  sole  Entrie  into  the  city  of  God  of 
New  Jerusalem,  into  which  none  but  the  king  of  Glory  can  enter :  and  as 
the  Porter  openeth  the  doore  of  the  Sheepfold,  by  which  whosoever 
entereth  in,  is  the  Shepherd  of  the  Sheep:  See  Isa.  45,  1;  Psal.  24,  7,  8, 
9,  10:  John  10,  1,  2,  3;  Or,  (according  to  the  signification  of  the  word 
translated  Psalme)  it  is  a  pruning  knife,  to  lop  off  from  the  church  of 
Christ  all  superfluous  Twigs  of  earthly  and  carnal  commandments. 
Levitical  services  or  Ministry  and  fading  and  vanishing  Priests  or 
Ministers,  who  are  confirmed  by  Death  as  holding  uo  correspondency 
with  the  princely  Dignity,  Office  and  Ministry  of  an  Melchisedek  who 
is  the  only  Ministry  of  the  Sanctuary  and  of  that  true  Taberuacle 
which  the  Lord'pitcht  and  not  Man.  For  it  supplants  the  Old  Man 
and  implants  the  new:  abrogates  the  Old  Testament  or  Covenant  aud 
confirms  the  New  into  a  thousand  generations,  or  in  generations  for- 
ever By  Samuel  Gorton,  Gent,  and  at  the  time  of  penning  hereof,  in 
the  place  of  Judicature  (upon  Aquethueck  alias  Road  Island)  of 
Providence  Plantations  in  the  Nauhygansett  Bay,  New  England. 
Printed  in  the  veere  L617." 

"Saltmaksh  Retukned  from  the  Dead,  in  Amicus  Philalethes  :  or 
the  Resurrection  of  James  the  Apostle  out  of  the  Grave  of  Carnal 
Glosses  for  the  correction  of  the  universal  Apostacy  which  cruelly 
burried  him  who  yet  liveth.  Appearing  in  the  Comely  Ornaments  of 
his  Fifth  Chapter  in  an  exercise,  June  5,  1654.  Having  laid  by  his 
grave  clothes  in  a  despised  village  remote  from  England,  but  wishing 
well  and  heartily  desiring  the  True  Prosperity  thereof." — Mackie's 
Life  of  Gorton  in  Spark's  Am.  Biog. 

That  such  language  may  have  been  perfectly  intelligible  to  Gorton 
himself,  we  have  no  disposition  to  doubt;  that  it  may  have  conveyed 
more  to  his  contemporaries  who  were  acquainted  with  the  circum- 
stances that  called  it  forth,  and  had  become  familiar  with  such  forms 
of  expression,  than  to  us,  may  be  true.  That  it  lacks  a  little  of  that 
perspicuity,  which  in  modern  times  is  regarded  as  an  excellence  in 
writing  or  speaking,  is  quite  evident. 


INTRODUCTION.  305 


ions  on  civil  or  religious  topics  were  opposed,  he  showed 
much  of  that  quality  that  might  be  termed,  "  otherwise- 
minded  ness,"  and,  at  times,  exhibited  a  "  superfluity  of 
naughtiness,"  but  otherwise  was  of  a  generous  and 
sympathetic  nature,  and  inclined  to  award  to  others  the 
same  liberty  of  thought  and  expression  which  he  claimed 
for  himself. 

We  close  this  account  of  him  with  an  extract  taken 
from  the  manuscript  Itinerary  of  Dr.  Styles,  a  former 
clergyman  of  Newport,  and  afterwards  President  of 
Yale  College,  as  given  by  Judge  Staples  : 

"At  Providence,  Nov.  18,  1771,  I  visited  aged  Mr.  John 
Angell,  ae.  80,  born,  Oct.  18,  1691,  a  plain,  blunt-spoken  man; 
right  old  English  frankness.  He  is  not  a  Quaker,  nor  Baptist, 
nor  a  Presbyterian,  but  a  Gortonist,  and  the  only  one  I  have 
seen.  Gorton  now  lives  in  him,  his  only  disciple  left. 
He  says  he  knows  of  no  other  and  that  he  is  alone.  He 
gave  me  an  account  of  Gorton's  disciples,  first  and  last,  and 
showed  me  some  of  Gorton's  printed  books  and  some  of  his 
manuscripts.  He  said  Gorton  wrote  in  heaven  and  no  one  can 
understand  his  writings,  but  those  who  live  in  heaven  while 
on  earth.  He  said  that  Gorton  had  beat  down  all  outward 
ordinances  of  Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper  with  unanswer- 
able demonstrations.  That  Gorton  preached  in  London  in 
Oliver's  time,  and  had  a  church  and  living  of  £500  a  year 
offered  him,  but  he  believed  no  sum  would  have  tempted 
him  to  take  a  farthing  for  preaching.  He  told  me  that  his 
grandfather,  Thomas  Angell,  came  from  Salem  to  Providence 
with  Roger  Williams,  that  Gorton  did  not  agree  with  Roger 
Williams,  who  was  for  outward  ordinances  set  up  by  new 
apostles.  I  asked  if  Gorton  was  a  Quaker;  as  he  seemed  to 
agree  with  them  in  rejecting  outward  ordinances.  He  said 
no;  and  that  when  George  Fox  (I  think)  or  one  of  the  first 
Friends  came  over;  he  went  to  Warwick  to  see  Gorton,  but  was 
a  mere  babe  to  Gorton.  The  Friends  had  come  out  of  the 
world  some  ways,  but  still  were  in  darkness  or  twilight,  but 
that  Gorton  was  far  beyond  them,  he  said,  high  wajr  up  to  the 
dispensation  of  light.  The  Quakers  were  in  no  way  to  be  com- 
pared with  him;  nor  any  man  else  can,  since  the  primitive 
times  of  the  church,  especially  since  they  came  out  of  Popish 
darkness.  He  said  Gorton  was  a  holy  man;  wept  day  and 
night  for  the  sins  and  blindness  of  the  world;  his  eyes  were  a 
fountain  of  tears,  and  always  full  of  tears — a  man  full  of  thought 
and  study — had  a  long  walk  out  through  the  trees  or  woods  by 
his  house,  where  he  constantly  walked  morning  and  evening, 


306  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


and  even  in  the  depth  of  the  night,  alone  hy  himself,  for  con- 
templation and  the  enjoyment  of  the  dispensation  of  light. 
He  was  universally  beloved  by  all  his  neighbors  and  the  Indians, 
who  esteemed  him  not  only  as  a  friend,  but  one  high  in  com- 
munion with  God  in  heaven,  and  indeed  he  lived  in  heaven." 

In  preparing  the  following  accounts  of  the  churches, 
the  author  communicated  with  the  pastors  or  some  lead- 
ing members  of  the  several  churches  now  existing  in 
the  town,  inviting  them  to  furnish  a  brief  sketch  of  their 
respective  churches,  for  publication.  In  several  instances 
the  invitation  was  accej)ted,  and  in  others  the  records  of 
the  churches  were  kindly  placed  in  his  hands  to  enable 
him  to  furnish  the  accounts.  He  regrets  that  in  a  few 
instances,  either  from  a  loss  of  the  records  or  lack  of 
interest  in  the  subject,  on  the  part  of  those  to  whom 
he  applied,  he  has  failed  to  receive  the  desired  informa- 
tion concerning  several.  Where  the  accounts  have  been 
prepared  by  others,  due  acknowledgement  has  been 
given.  In  the  other  cases,  where  church  records  have 
been  kindly  placed  in  his  hands  from  which  to  make  up 
the  accounts,  such  accounts  have  received,  in  each  case, 
the  approval  of  some  one  or  more  of  the  leading  mem- 
bers of  the  church,  to  whom  they  were  submitted  before 
publishing : 

OLD   BAPTIST   CHURCH,    OLD   WARWICK.* 

This  church,  which  has  had  for  the  past  thirty  years 
merely  a  nominal  existence,  is  the  oldest  one  in  the 
town,  having  probably  existed  as  a  branch  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church  of  Providence,  nearly  or  quite  a  half 
century  before  it  assumed  an  independent  existence. 
The  earliest  records  of  the  church  bear  the  date  of  1741, 
though  the  origin  of  the  body  as  a  distinct  and  indepen- 
dent church,  must  have  been  as  early  as  1725.  Backus' 
history  mentions  it  in  1730  as  then  existing.     Previous 

*/rhe  six  principles,  or  doctrines,  held  by  this  church  may  be  found 
in  Hebrews  vi.,  1,  2. 


OLD   BAPTIST   CHURCH,    OLD   WARWICK  307 

to  that  date,  and  reaching  back  to  about  the  time  of  the 
first  settlement  of  the  town,  it  probably  existed  as  a 
branch  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Providence,  of 
which  several  of  the  original  settlers  of  the  town  were 
constituent  members.  Hence  the  history  of  the  body 
previous  to  the  organization  as  a  separate  church  would 
be  incorporated  with  that  of  the  First  church  of  Provi- 
dence. As  there  are  no  original  records  of  this  latter 
church  extant,  previous  to  April,  1775,  it  is  impossible 
to  determine  the  exact  status  of  the  body  previous  to 
that  date.  In*1730,  the  church  at  Old  Warwick  con- 
sisted of  65  members,  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Elder 
Manasseh  Martin.*  Elder  Martin  having  served  the 
church  as  pastor  upwards  of  30  years,  died  March  20th, 
1754.  He  lies  buried  in  the  cemetery  near  the  site  of 
the  Meeting  House  where  he  preached.  A  heavy  slab 
half  embedded  in  the  earth,  with  his  name  and  elate  of 
death,  marks  the  spot.  His  widow,  who  afterwards  be- 
came the  wife  of  Elder  Charles  Holden,  lies  beside  him. 

On  the  18th  of  June,  1744,  John  Hammett  was 
ordained  as  colleague  of  Mr.  Martin,  and  seems  to  have 
extended  his  labors  beyond  the  immediate  precincts  of 
Old  Warwick,  gathering  many  into  the  church  from 
remote  regions.  He  served  the  old  church  "  upwards  of 
six  years,"  according  to  the  inscription  upon  his  tomb- 
stone, dying  in  the  48th  year  of  his  age.  He  lies  buried 
also,  in  the  yard  of  the  old  meeting-house. 

On  June  16,  1757,  Charles  Holden  was  ordained  pas- 
tor of  the  church,  and  continued  to  preach  until  old  age 
and  its  infirmities  compelled  him  to  relinquish  his  post. 
He  was  ordained  in  the  62d  year  of  his  age,  and  died 
June  20th,  1785,  in  his  ninetieth  year.  He  lies  buried 
in  a  quiet  spot,  some  thirty  or  forty  rods  west  of  the  res- 
idence of  John  Wickes  Greene,  Esq.  Elder  Holden 
had  a  son  and  also  a  grandson  named  Charles.     Among 


*  See  "  The  Historv  of  the  General  or  Si.x  Principle  Baptists  in  Europe 
and  America,"  by  Elder  Richard  Knight,  published  in  1827.  Elder 
Knight  was  the  esteemed  and  useful  pastor  of  the  Scituate  church. 


308  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK. 

his  lineal  descendants  was  the  late  John  Holden,  of 
Crompton,  father  of  the  late  Thomas  R.  Holden,  of 
Providence.  Previous  to  the  declaration  of  American 
Independence,  it  was  customary  for  ministers,  following 
the  old  English  custom,  to  pray  for  the  king  in  their 
public  worship.  One  Sabbath  after  the  Declaration, 
while  the  Elder  was  praying,  forgetting  for  the  moment 
the  change  that  had  taken  place  in  the  political  condi- 
tion of  the  country,  he  reached  the  place  where  the 
usual  petition  for  the  king  came  in,  and  before  he  was 
aware  he  uttered  it — "  we  pray  for  the  king  and  all  in 
authority  " — when  suddenly  checking  himself  and  hesi- 
tating he  added  with  emphasis — Hiving  in  Rhode  Island!" 
The  limiting  clause  of  the  petition  thus  forcibly  ex- 
pressed, established  his  patriotism.  In  his  will,  Elder 
Holden  made  provision  for  the  liberation  of  his  several 
slaves.  Dimmis  was  to  have  her  freedom  on  the  de- 
cease of  her  master,  and  her  youngest  son  was  given  her 
until  the  age  of  twenty  one,  when  he  was  to  be  free. 
His  slave  Dinah  was  to  be  set  at  liberty  at  eighteen 
years  of  age,  and  Prince,  Cato  and  Morocco,  when  they 
reached  the  age  of  twenty-one,  provided  they  behaved 
properly  up  to  those  ages.  A  small  bequest  was  made 
to  each  of  them  in  addition  to  their  freedom. 

Benjamin  Sheldon  was  ordained  assistant  to  Elder 
Holden,  June  18,  1778,  by  Elders  Holden,  J.  Wight- 
man,  John  Gorton  and  -Reuben  Hopkins.  October  10, 
1782,  Abraham  Lippitt  was  ordained  as  an  assistant 
elder  in  this  church,  by  Elders  Nathan  Peirce,  John 
Gorton*  and  J.  Wightman.  About  the  year  1793, 
Elder  Lippitt  removed  to  the  West,  and  the  following 
year  the  church  called  Samuel  Littlefield  to  the  pastoral 


*  Elder  John  Gorton  was  the  pastor  of  the  church  at  East  Green- 
wich, for  many  years,  and  preached  in  a  meeting  house  that  stood  not 
far  from  the  shore,  but  which  has  been  demolished  many  years.  He 
was  a  descendant  of  Samuel  Gorton,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the 
town,  and  the  great-grandfather  of  Mrs.  Wm.  B.  Spencer  of  Phenix. 
He  officiated  at  the  marriage  of  General  Nathaniel  Greene.  An  old 
book  before  me,  owned  by  Mr.  Henry  W.    Greene,  the  leaves  of  which 


OLD   BAPTIST    CHURCH,    OLD   WARWICK. 


309 


office,  and  he  was  ordained  February  17,  1794.  He 
continued  to  preach  until  about  1825,  when  lie  had  a 
paralytic  shock  which  laid  him  aside  from  active  life. 

The  old  meeting-house,  a  sketch  of  which  is  given  in 
the  engraving,  was  built  by  this  church  at  an  early  date, 
and  is  probably  the  earliest  one  built  in  this  town  of 
which  any  knowledge  at  present  exists.  It  was  taken 
down  in  the  spring  of  1830.     It  was  in   a  very  decayed 


THE  OLD  MEETING  HOUSE,  OLD    WARWICK. 
(From  a  pencil  sketch  by  Mrs.  C.  W.  Colgrove.) 

condition  when  demolished.  Its  size  was  about  forty 
feet  square,  with  two  doors,  one  on  the  side  facing  the 
Conimicut  road,  a  double  door,   and  one  fronting  Meet- 


are  partly  of  the  "Stamp"  paper  of  the  times,  and  hound  in  sheep 
skin,  with  a  brazen  clasp,  contains  the  records  of  281  marriages,  in 
Elder  Gorton's  writing.  The  first  marriage,  that  of  Anthony  Low  and 
Phehe  Greene,  bears  the  date  of  January  1,  1754,  the  Inst,  that,  of 
George  Finney  and  Hanahretty  Matthews,  daughter  of  Caleb  Mat- 
thews, May  4,  1792.  The  Warwick  and  Coventry  Baptist  Church  waa 
organized  at  the  house  of  Caleb  Matthews,  October  21,  180.3. 

27 


310  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


ing-House  road,  so  called.  In  the  rear  was  a  burying 
ground,  owned  by  the  Low  family.  The  building  was 
without  bell  or  steeple.  Its  internal  arrangements  were 
peculiar  :  the  platform  for  the  preacher  was  raised  some 
two  or  three  feet,  with  a  small  desk  for  the  Bible  to  rest 
upon,  and  in  the  rear  were  seats  for  the  preacher,  the 
deacon  and  the  constable.  The  deacon  usually  lined  oft 
the  hymns  for  the  singers.  There  were  three  large 
square  pews  in  front  of  the  platform,  and  their  occupants 
were  supposed  to  be  entitled  to  special  respect.  Other 
pews  ranged  along  the  sides  of  the  building,  with  one 
long  pew  for  the  deacon's  family.  The  seats  for  the 
congregation  generally,  were  rude  benches.  There  were 
galleries  on  two  sides  of  the  house  with  stairways  lead- 
ing up  to  them  from  the  audience  room.  The  whole  in- 
terior was  open  to  the  roof.  Before  the  old  house  was 
given  up,  it  had  become  so  dilapidated,  that  the  case  of 
the  Hebrew  sanctuary  mentioned  by  David  in  the 
eighty- fourth  psalm  was  repeated — "  the  sparrow  hath 
found  a  house  and  the  swallow  a  nest  for  herself,  where 
she  may  lay  her  young,  even  thine  altars,  O  Lord  of 
Hosts  " — and  meetings  were  held  in  the  school-house. 
A  farewell  service  was  held  in  it  October  4,  1829,  and  is 
still  remembered  by  some  who  were  present,  and  from 
whom  the  writer  has  received  these  items.*  Elder  Wm. 
Manchester  on  that  day  baptized,  at  a  place  called  the 
"new  bridge,"  Mary  Almira  and  Louisa  Waterman. 
It  was  sold  soon  after,  and  a  portion  of  the  materials 
worked  up  into  the  dwelling-house  that  now  stands 
nearly  opposite  the  residence  of  John  Holden,  Esq. 

Their  new  house,  the  one  now  occupied  by  the  Shawo- 
met  Baptist  Church,  was  dedicated  in  1829,  Elder  Wm. 
C.  Manchester  preaching  the  sermon,  from  Gen.  xxviii.  17. 
The  pastor  at  the  time  was  Elder  Job  Manchester,  who 
had  been  ordained  October,  1828.  He  was  from  Coven* 
try,  and  had  married  a  daughter  of  the  late  Thomas  Staf- 


*  John  Wickes  Greene,  Esq.i  a  former  member  and  clerk  of  the  old 
church,  and  others. 


OLD    BAPTIST   CHURCH,    OLD   WARWICK.  311 


ford,  one  of  their  leading  members.  He  is  said  to  have 
been  an  able  minister,  and  by  his  liberal  and  enlightened 
views  prepared  the  way  for  the  future  enlargement  of 
the  church.  An  extensive  revival  was  enjoyed  during 
the  year  1829,  in  which  twenty-two  persons  united  with 
the  church.  In  18 13  he  resigned  his  charge  and  removed 
to  Providence,  where  he  united  with  the  Stewart  Street 
Baptist  Church.  He  died  August  9th,  1859,  aged  75.* 
In  1830,  in  a  letter  to  the  "  General  Meeting,"  they  re- 
ported fifty-four  members.  Their  prospects  from  this 
time  began  to  wane,  their  members  were  gradually  re- 
duced by  death  and  dismission,  until  dependent  upon 
occasional  supplies  in  preaching,  they  became  disheart- 
ened and  finally  gave  up  their  meetings.  They  have 
had  only  a  nominal  existence  for  many  years.  Mr.  Daniel 
Arnold,  of  Crompton,  who  died  last  year,  left  legacies  to 
this  church,  and  to  those  at  Crompton  and  Birch  Hill, 
which  has  brought  to  light  the  existence  of  a  few  mem- 
bers, who  claim  to  be  the  church;  their  names  are  Benoni 
Lockwood,  Aurelia  Weaver,  Lucy  A.  Lockwood,  and 
Eliza  T.  Lockwood. 

As  there  was  some  doubt  existing  as  to  the  ownership 
of  the  land  upon  which  the  house  was  built,  the  town,  at 
a  meeting  held  April  15,  1829,  made  the  following  pro- . 
vision,  viz.  : 

"  Whereas  certain  public  spirit  Individuals  in  the  Town 
of  Warwick,  have  it  in  contemplation  to  erect  a  Meeting  House 
for  the  worship  of  Almighty  God,  in  that  Section  of  the  Town 
usually  called  Old  Warwick,  and  on  Land  near  the  school  house 
which  Land  is  represented  to  have  been  originally  reserved  by 
the  proprietors  for  the  purpose  of  Education  and  as  a  tanning 
field;  and  doubts  have  arisen  Whether  the  Town  may  not  possess 
an  Iuterest  in  said  Laud  either  by  Escheat  or  some  other  title, 
]Srow  therefore  with  the  intention  of  promoting  a  project  so 
Laudable  by  perfecting  the  title  of  the  Individuals  aforesaid 


*  Elder  Job  Manchester  was  a  skillful  mechanic  as  well  as  an  able 
pastor  and  preacher.  A«  early  as  1816  he  invented  a  power  loom,  for 
weaving  cotton  cloth,  and  in  1818  made  some  improvements  on  the  Bed 
Tick  or  Twilled  work,  looms.  He  was  a  practical  machinist.  See 
Transactions  of  the  It.  I.  Society  for  the  Encouragement  of  Domestic 
Industry  for  1864,  pp.  61-76. 


312  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


"  It  is  voted,  That  it  shall  be  (he  duty  of  the  Treasurer  o£  the 
Town  whenever  a  Meeting  House  aforesaid  shall  have  been 
erected  to  Eelease  on  the  part  of  the  Town  all  Eight  and  Title 
to  that  part  of  the  Lot  whereon  it  may  be  placed.  It  being 
understood  that  the  same  is  to  Include  a  piece  of  Ground  Eight 
rods  square." 


OLD   BAPTIST  CHURCH   AT   APPONAUG. 

At  a  church  meeting  held  at  Old  Warwick,  of  which 
Elder  Manasseh  Martin  was  pastor,  Dec.  6,  1744,  Ben- 
jamin Peirce  and  wife,  Ezrikham  Peirce  and  wife, 
Edward  Case  and  wife,  John  Budlong,  and  such  others  as 
wished  to  form  a  church  at  the  Fulling  Mill,  of  the  same 
faith  and  order,  were  granted  leave.  Several  members 
from  East  Greenwich  united  with  them,  and  the  church 
was  duly  organized.  Benjamin  Peirce  was  ordained 
their  minister.  They  eventually  erected  a  meeting  house, 
"  on  an  eminence  East  of  the  village  of  Apponaug  which 
commanded  an  extensive  prospect  of  this  village,  river, 
islands  and  surrounding  country."  It  stood  nearly  oppo- 
site of  the  present  residence  of  C.  R.  Hill,  Esq.  There 
is  a  tradition  that  it  was  built  at  the  suggestion  of  Elder 
Peter  Worclen,  who  in  1758-9  had  built  a  house  of 
worship  in  Coventry,  "  28  feet  long  by  26  feet  wide  and 
two  stories  high,5'  and  preached  in  it  many  years  and 
afterwards  settled  in  Apponaug.  It  is  said  that  this 
house  was  of  the  same  dimensions  as  the  one  in  Coventry 
which  became  known  in  later  times  as  the  Elder  Charles 
Stone  meeting  house,  Elder  Stone  having  been  the  suc- 
cessor of  Elder  Worden.  Mr.  Worden  was  born  near 
Westerly,  June  6,  1728,  and  is  represented  as  a  man  of 
large  stature,  with  a  powerful  voice,  and  a  useful  rather 
than  a  very  intellectual  man.  After  leaving  Apponaug, 
he  removed  to  Cheshire,  Mass.,  in  1770,  where  another 
edition  of  "  28  by  26"  without  revisal  or  improvement 
was  erected,  and  where  he  continued  to  hold  forth  the 
word  of  life.  He  died  in  1808,  in  his  80th  year.  He 
preached  in  Coventry  and  Warwick  nineteen  years. 


OLD   BAPTIST   CHURCH   AT   APPONATJG.  313 

The  church  became  involved  in  difficulty  owing  to 
some  change  in  the  religious  sentiments  of  Elder  Pierce, 
and  diminished  in  members  and  was  finally  dissolved, 
and  "  their  meeting  house  went  to  decay  for  many  years." 
At  what  precise  period  this  occurred  does  not  appear, 
but  it  was  previous  to  the  revolutionary  war. 

Elder  Knight,  in  his  history,  makes  no  mention  of  any 
other  pastor  than  Elder  Peirce,  in  connection  with  this 
church,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  connection  of  Elder 
Worden  was  of  short  duration.  Of  the  subsequent  his- 
tory of  Elder  Peirce  the  writer  has  no  knowledge.  The 
Peirces  furnished  a  number  of  Elders  to  the  church  in 
different  places.  Elder  Nathan  Peirce  was  settled  over 
the  Rehoboth  church  many  years,  and  till  his  death  in 
1794.  Elders  Preserved  Peirce  and  Philip  Peirce, 
brothers,  were  ordained  in  the  same  church  about  the 
year  1800.     The  latter  soon  after  removed  west. 

Soon  after  the  close  of  the  revolutionary  war  another 
church  was  organized.  The  date  of  the  organization 
is  given  bjr  Elder  Knight  in  one  part  of  his  work  as  1785, 
and  in  another  as  1792.  As  we  have  had  no  access  to 
the  original  records  we  are  unable  to  settle  the  point. 
David  Corpe,  a  member  of  the  East  Greenwich  church, 
from  which  the  new  one  was  set  off,  was  ordained  their 
pastor.  They  occupied  the  old  house,  which  was  repaired 
and  made  comfortable.  Elder  Corpe,  becoming  advanced 
in  years  and  reduced  in  pecuniary  means,  resigned  his 
trust  and  removed  to  an  estate  which  he  held  in  the 
northwest  part  of  the  State.  Elder  Spooner  was  his 
successor,  having  been  appointed  by  the  yearly  meeting 
to  supply  them  with  preaching  once  a  month.  The 
tide  of  prosperity  turned  against  them,  and  in  1805  the 
church  followed  the  example  of  its  predecessor  and  be 
came  extinct. 

The  old  meeting  house,  after  resounding  with  the  mes- 
sages of  the  Gospel  for  many  years,  finally  lost  its  iden- 
tity more  than  fifty  years  ago,  and  a  portion  of  it  may  be 
found  in  a  private  residence  a  few  rods  north  of  the  spot 
where  it  originally  stood.     There  are  a  few  persons  now 

*27 


314  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK. 

living  who  remember  it,  as  the  place  where  in  their 
childhood  they  were  accustomed  to  assemble  on  the  Sab- 
bath and  listen  to  the  lengthy  discourses  of  the  early 
preachers. 

THE   BETHEL   SIX  PRINCIPLE   BAPTIST   CHURCH. 

This  church  is  a  grandchild  of  the  Old  Warwick 
Church.  The  Coventry  or  "  Maple  Root "  Church  *  was 
set  off  from  the  latter  church,  May  17, 1744,  though  the 
latter  church  does  not  appear  to  have  been  formally  or- 
ganized until  Oct.  14,  17^2.  The  church  for  many 
years  and  until  1857,  was  known  as  the  Phenix  Branch 
of  the  Maple  Root  Church.  While  sustaining  this  rela- 
tion to  the  Maple  Root,  worship  was  conducted  in  the 
Ark wright  school  house  and  the  private  houses  in 
Phenix,  until  the  school  house  was  built  in  the  latter 
place  in  1827,  when  the  building  was  used  one  Sabbath 
per  month  until  the  church  built  a  meeting  house.  Elder 
Thomas  Tillinghast  preached  man}^  years  in  the  old 
Ark  wright  school  house,  and  when  the  Phenix  school 
house  was  built,  divided  a  monthly  Sabbath  between 
the  two  school  houses.  In  1838,  they  "built  a  meeting 
house  in  Phenix,  which  was  the  second  house  built  in 
that  village  for  exclusive  religious  purposes.  The  build- 
ing committee  were  Dea.  Johnson,  Wm.  C.  Ames  and 
Robert  Levalley.  The  house  was  built  by  John  R. 
Brayton,  now  of  Knightsville,  who  built  the  Tatem 
Meeting  House  previously.  The  house  was  about  sixty 
feet  long,  thirty-six  wide,  with  eighteen  feet  posts,  and 
is  said  to  have  cost  about  $3,000.  This  was  a  large  sum 
in  those  days,  and,as  it  proved,  a  larger  one  than  the  church 
was  able  to  pay,  and  the  debt  incurred  resulted  in  dis- 
aster to  the  church.     After  struggling  along  for  many 


*  This  church  is  usually,  now,  called  the  "Maple  Root  Church." 
Elder  Knight,  the  historian  of  the  denomination,  calls  it  the  "  May- 
pole" Boot  Church,  and  I  am  informed  by  Dea.  Andrews,  it  is  so  des- 
ignated in  the  earliest  records  of  the  church. 


BETHEL   SIX   PRINCIPLE   BAPTIST   CHURCH.  315 

years  the  church  became  somewhat  divided  and  weak- 
ened, and  their  house  was  sold  at  public  auction  to  Dr. 
McGreggor  for  $1,000,  who  afterwards  sold  it  to  Cyrus 
Manchester  for  $1,100.  On  Sept.  25,  1851,  it  was  again 
sold  to  Win.  B.  Spencer,  Esq.,  who  finally  converted  it 
into  tenements,  for  which  purpose  it  is  still  used. 

The  last  pastor  of  the  Phenix  Branch  Church  was 
Elder  Stephen  Thomas,  whose  denominational  senti- 
ments underwent  some  change,  and  in  the  year  1851,  he 
closed  his  labors,  and  subsequently  became  pastor  of  the 
present  Baptist  Church  at  Natick.  Elder  Thomas  after- 
wards became  pastor  at  Holme's  Hole,  now  called  Vine- 
yard Haven,  where  he  died  a  few  years  ago.  The  church 
was  now  houseless  and  pastorless,  and  continued  in  an  un- 
settled condition  until  it  gathered  up  its  little  remaining 
strength  about  the  year  1857,  and  made  arrangements 
for  the  building  of  a  new  house  of  worship  at  Birch  Hill. 

In  June,  1857,  a  petition  signed  by  ninety-four  per- 
sons, members  of  the  "Maple  Root"  Church  in  Coven- 
try, setting  forth  that  they  had  "  for  a  long  time  been 
known  as  the  Phenix  Branch  of  said  Coventry  Church," 
and  had  now  erected  a  house  of  worship  at  Birch  Hill, 
was  presented  to  the  said  Maple  Root  Church,  praying 
that  they  might  be  organized  into  a  separate  and  inde- 
pendent body.  Among  the  petitioners  were  Elders 
Benjamin  B.  Cottrell,  Henry  B.  Locke  and  Nathaniel 
W.  Warren.  On  the  third  of  the  following  month  the 
petition  was  granted,  and  on  the  twenty-sixth  of  that 
month,  they  were  duly  organized  as  a  distinct  church. 
Elder  Thomas  Tillinghast,  preached,  Ephesians  II,  19, 
20,  21.  Elders  B.  B.  Cottrell,  H.  B.  Locke  and  N.  W. 
Warner  participated  in  the  exercises.  At  this  point  the 
records,  which  have  been  very  well  kept  by  the  several 
clerks,  begin. 

On  Saturday,  August  22,  1857,  Elder  Thomas  Til- 
linghast, was  chosen  pastor,  and  Wanton  A.  Whitford, 
clerk.  On  Oct.  31,  1858,  "  Elder  B.  B.  Cottrell,  Dea. 
Benjamin  Essex  and  W.  A.  Whitford  were  appointed 
trustees  to  receive  and  hold  in  trust  a  deed   of  a  lot  of 


316  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

land  on  Birch  Hill  in  Warwick,  appropriated  for  a  meet- 
ing house  for  said  church  and  denomination."  The 
house  was  regarded  by  some  as  too  small,  and  at  a  meet- 
ing held  Jan.  9,  1859,  a  proposition  was  made  to  enlarge 
the  "  Bethel,"  by  an  addition  of  twelve  feet  to  its  length, 
and  Dea.  Essex,  Hemw  Remington  and  W.  A.  Whitford, 
were  appointed  a  committee  to  make  the  alterations. 
The  funds  for  making  the  proposed  addition  did  not 
seem  to  be  forthcoming,  and  the  committee  hesitated  to 
commence  the  work  of  building  under  the  circumstances, 
and  on  the  following  October  were  instructed  to  make 
the  addition  "  forthwith,"  on  the  front  of  the  house. 
The  addition  was  accordingly  made  and  a  debt  incurred, 
which  became  a  serious  obstacle  to  the  prosperity  of  the 
church.  The  building  had  to  be  mortgaged,  and  was  in 
danger  of  following  in  the  steps  of  the  previous  house 
at  Phenix.  Failing  to  obtain  funds  by  subscription,  the 
money  was  subsequently  raised  by  festivals  held  about 
ten  years  ago  under  the  direction  of  Mrs.  Bowen  A. 
Sweet,  one  of  the  members,  the  amount  of  $675  being 
raised,  more  than  sufficient  to  clear  the  house  of  debt. 

Previous  to  the  }rear  1860,  the  covenant  meetings  were 
held  at  Arkwright  every  othermonth,  and  the  communion 
monthly  at  the  Bethel,  subsequently  it  was  voted  to  hold 
the  communion  services  once  in  three  months  at  Ark- 
wright. On  March  25,  1860,  Wanton  A.  Whitford, 
was  ordained  as  a  deacon.  Previous  to  the  ordination 
the  candidate  was  questioned  as  to  his  religious  views, 
and  also  his  views  on  the  subjects  of  Temperance  and 
Slaver}^.  "  The  wife  of  the  candidate  was  then  called 
upon  to  express  her  mind  in  regard  to  her  becoming  a 
Deacon's  wife,  when  she  arose  and  expressed  a  willing- 
ness to  do  her  duty  in  that  respect."  April  28,  1861, 
Henry  Remington,  a  member  of  the  church,  was  or- 
dained to  the  gospel  ministry,  and  afterwards  became 
assistant  pastor.  April  16,  1864,  Bowen  A.  Sweet  was 
elected  church  clerk,  in  which  position  he  has  continued 
to  the  present  time. 

At  a  covenant  meeting  held  August  28,  1864,  a  letter 


BETHEL   SIX  PRINCIPLE   BAPTIST   CHURCH.         317 

was  sent  to  the  Association,  in  which  it  is  stated  that 
they  had  had  no  pastor  since  the  death  of  Elder  Thomas 
Tillinghast,  that  the  church  had  been  passing  through 
severe  trials,  and  giving  as  their  statistics  the  following: 
Dismissed  by  letter,  4  ;  excluded,  4;  dropped,  4;  dead, 
1;  Total,  138.  Oct.  23,  1864,  Elder  Samuel  Arnold 
was  unanimously  elected  pastor,  and  accepted  the 
position. 

At  a  meeting  held  Jan.  26,  1868,  Elder  Arnold,  upon 
petition  of  several  members  of  the  Bethel  Church,  re- 
siding in  Swansev,  read  the  following  resolution,  which 
was  adopted  :  "  Voted  and  resolved,  that  the  Brethren 
and  Sisters  of  this  church,  residing  in  the  State  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, be  set  off  as  a  branch  of  the  same,  to  be 
called  the  Swansey  Branch,  together  with  such  others  as 
shall  become  associated  with  them,  with  the  privilege  of 
receiving  and  dismissing  members  and  holding  com- 
munion."    Number  of  members  in  September,  1874, 115. 

Elder  Samuel  Arnold  still  continues  the  pastor  of  the 
church,  though  living  in  Providence,  and  preaching  at 
the  Bethel  but  once  a  month.  Elder  Nathaniel  W. 
Warner  lived  at  Natick,  where  he  died  August  6th, 
1858.  Elder  Henry  B.  Locke  died  November \0,  1865. 
Elder  B.  B.  Cottrell,  also  one  of  the  constituent  mem- 
bers of  this  church,  is  at  present  the  acceptable  pastor  of 
the  Tabernacle  Church  in  Fiskeville.  By  his  efforts  a 
Meeting  House  was  built  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,700, 
which  was  dedicated  July  24th,  1873,  and  a  church 
soon  after  organized.  Dea.  Benjamin  Essex,  who  has 
resided  in  the  vicinity  for  the  past  twentyTsix  years,  and 
is  also  one  of  the  constituent  members  of  the  church, 
still  serves  the  church  as  deacon,  and  continues  as  prompt 
and  punctual  in  his  religious  duties,  as  the  "  Regulator  " 
that  hangs  in  his  workshop,  and  ticks  away  the  time  in 
measured  beats  from  year  to  year.  The  late  Daniel 
Arnold,  of  Crompton,  bequeathed  to  this  church  a  por- 
tion of  his  personal  property,  but  the  exact  amount  the 
church  will  receive  is  not  at  present  known. 


318  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


CROMPTON   SIX  PRINCIPLE   BAPTIST   CHURCH. 

In  the  winter  of  1841,  six  persons  who  subsequently 
united  with  others  in  the  formation  of  this  church,  com- 
menced holding  meetings  in  the  old  Centreville  school- 
house.  Their  meetings  Avere  interesting,  and  a  revival 
soon  followed,  which  resulted  in  the  conversion  of  about 
thirty  persons  who  were  baptized  most  of  them  into  the 
fellowship  of  the  Maple  Root  church,  in  Coventry. 
Elder  Henry  B.  Locke  had  c6*me  from  the  southern  part 
of  the  State"  and  united  with  the  Maple  Root  Church, 
and  seems  to  have  been  a  successful  laborer  with  this 
little  band  of  brethren.  Before  the  middle  of  April  he 
baptized  the  thirty  converts,  who  united  with  the  Maple 
Root  church.  April  23,  1812,  a  petition  was  presented 
to  the  Maple  Root  church,  signed  by  thirty  eight  per- 
sons, praying  to  be  set  off  as  a  Branch  Church.  The 
prayer  was  granted,  and  Elder  H.  B.  Locke  was  chosen 
pastor,  C.  A.  Carpenter,  deacon  and  William  Rice,  clerk. 
Elder  Locke  remained  the  pastor  until  November  1843, 
and  was  followed  by  Elder  William  P.  Place,  who  con- 
tinued in  office  until  April  19,  1857,  and  then  removed 
to  Pennsylvania,  remaining  there  about  a  year  and  then 
returned  to  Rhode  Island. 

Soon  after  the  brethren  were  set  off  from  the  mother 
church  in  Coventry  as  a  brauch,  they  united  their  efforts 
to  secure  a  permanent  place  for  worship.  Mrs.  Sarah 
Remington,  widow  of  James  E.  Remington,  gave  them 
a  lot  of  land  consisting  of  about  a  quarter  of  an  acre,  on 
certain  conditions,  among  which  were,  that  the  church 
should  build  a  meeting-house  upon  it  within  six  months, 
keep  it  in  good  repair  and  use  it,  or  allow  it  to  be  used 
only  for  religious  purposes,  failing  in  which,  the  lot  was 
to  revert  to  the  grantor,  her  heirs,  assigns,  &c.  The 
deed,  which  is  dated  December  26,  1843,  further  pro- 
vided "  that  said  house  shall  be  open  and  free  for  all 
religious  societies,  when  not  occupied  by  said  branch  of 


CONGREGATIONAL   CHURCH,   RIVER  POINT.         319 


the  Crorapton  Mills  Six  Principle  Baptist  Society." 
The  house  was  dedicated  September  7th,  1844.  The 
church  continued  as  a  branch  of  the  Maple  Root,  until 
April  10,  1845,  when  it  was  formally  organized  as  an 
independent  church.  On  September  6,  1845,  it  united 
with  the  yearly  Conference.  November  28,  1850, 
William  Rice  was  ordained  as  a  deacon.' 

At  the  conclusion  of  Elder  Place's  labors,  Elder  Locke 
was  recalled  to  the  pastorate,  and  remained  two  years, 
when  he  died.  Elder  Wilcox  preached  two  Sabbaths  a 
month,  for  several  years  and  until  his  last  sickness.  In 
the  spring  of  1868,  Elder  Ellery  Kenyon  became  pastor, 
and  continued  until  January  15, 1871,  when  he  resigned. 
Sunday  May  15,  1870,  Wm.  R.  Johnson  was  baptized, 
and  on  the  same  day  was  ordained  to  the  ministry,  the 
.ordination  services  being  conducted  by  Elders  Kenyon, 
Arnold  and  Wilcox.  On  March  23,  1871,  the  church 
unanimously  elected  Elder  Win.  R.  Johnson  as  its  pas- 
tor and  he  continued  thus  until  the  present  year.  The 
church  at  present  is  without  a  pastor,  though  enjoying 
the  preaching  of  Elder  Slocum. 

William  Rice,  C.  A.  Carpenter,  C.  M.  Seekell  and 
William  Price  have  served  the  church  as  deacons ; 
William  Rice,  E.  W.  Sweet,  John  Wood,  Sheldon  H. 
Tillinghast,  Wm.  P.  Place,  as  clerks.  The  present  clerk, 
is  Eben  W.  Sweet.  The  late  Daniel  Arnold  bequeathed 
to  this  church  a  portion  of  his  personal  property,  the 
exact  amount  of  which,  has  not  yet  been  determined. 


CONGREGATIONAL  CHURCH,  RIVER   POINT. 

On  the  7th  of  February,  1849,  an  ecclesiastical 
council  convened  at  the  meeting-house,  at  River 
Point,  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  an  Evangelical  Con- 
gregational Church.  After  the  usual  preliminaries,  the 
council  voted  unanimously  in  favor  of  the  project,  and 
organized  the  following  persons  as  a  church,  viz. :  John 
L.    Smith,   Jeremiah   K.    Aldrich,  Brigham    C.    Deane, 


320  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

Mary  Greene,  Phila  B.  Deane,  Priscilla  G.  Seagraves, 
Hannah  L.  Sweet,  Lucy  Hill,  Hannah  Hall  and  Susan 
E.  Smith 

Eev.  George  Ubler  at  the  time  of  the  organization  of 
the  church,  appears  to  have  been  preaching  in  the  place, 
and  was. engaged  by  the  church  as  its  "  stated  supply," 
although  he  is  spoken  of  in  subsequent  records  as  the 
pastor  of  the  church.  He  continued  his  labors  until  ill 
health  induced  him  to  relinquish  his  position,  June  12, 
1853.  On  the  following  June  13th,  a  call  was  extended 
to  Rev.  S.  B.  Goodenow,  at  a  salary  of  $700,  which  was 
accepted,  and  Mr.  Goodenow  entered  upon  his  work  the 
first  Sabbath  in  December  1853  ,and  remained  until  June 
5,1855,  when  he  resigned  and  went  to  Ulster,  N.  Y. 
From  this  time,  the  church  having  become  somewhat 
weakened  by  loss  ol  quite  a  number  of  its  members,  was 
without  regular  pastoral  labor  until  1857,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  about  nine  months  in  1856,  when  Rev.  Mr. 
Woodbury  officiated  as  a  supply. 

Rev.  George  W.  Adams  was  installed  pastor  of  the 
church,  September  30,  1857,  and  died  after  a  somewhat 
prolonged  sickness,  December  9, 1862.  Mr.  Adams  was 
a  sound  theologian  and  an  excellent  pastor,  and  was 
beloved  by  the  church  and  community.  He  was  a  dili- 
gent student  and  prepared  his  sermons  with  much  care. 
We  remember  hearing  him  say  that  he  had  sixty  fully 
written  sermons  that  he  had  never  preached.  Plis  death 
most  deeply  afflicted  his  family.  Rev.  Mr.  Williams, 
who  had  been  supplying  the  church  during  the  pastor's 
illness,  continued  to  preach  until  February,  when  seve- 
ral of  the  pastors  connected  with  the  Rhode  Island 
ConGfreoational  Association  kindlv  volunteered  their  ser- 
vices  in  supplying  the  pulpit  until  the  last  Sabbath  in 
April,  in  order  that  the  salary  of  the  deceased  pastor 
might  be  continued  to  his  bereaved  family. 

On  Feb.  6,  1804,  the  church  by  an  unanimous  invita- 
tion engaged  the  Rev.  J.  K.  Aldiich  to  supply  the  pulpit 
the  following  year.  This  arrangement  continued  until 
August,    1867,    when    Mr.    Aldiich    removed   to   East 


WARWICK   AND   COVENTRY   CHURCH.  321 

Bridgewater,  Mass.,  to  assume  the  pastoral  care  of  the 
Union  Congregational  Church  in  that  place.  Mr. 
Aldrich  was  during  this  time,  as  for  several  years  pre- 
viously, also,  Principal  of  an  English  and  Classical 
School  in  the  vicinity.  He  was  followed  by  Rev.  Lyman 
H.  Blake,  Avho  received  a  call  from  the  church  Oct.  6, 
1867,  and  was  ordained  and  installed  as  pastor  on  Nov. 
14th,  following.  Mr.  Blake  continued  the  pastor  until 
Oct.  3,  1869,  when  he  resigned  to  assume  a  pastorate  at 
Rowley,  Mass.  Since  then  the  church  has  been  without 
a  settled  pastor,  though  enjoying  during  most  of  the 
time  the  ministrations  of  the  word  from  various  minis- 
ters, as  "  stated,"  or  occasional  supplies.  Like  nearly  all 
churches  it  has  had  its  seasons  of  adversity  as  well  as  of 
prosperity.  One  hundred  and  twent}r-five  persons  have 
had  their  names  enrolled  upon  its  list  of  membership, 
sixty-two  of  whom  were  received  on  their  confession  of 
faith  in  the  Redeemer,  and  the  remainder  by  letters. 
Ten  have  died  while  members,  two  were  excommuni- 
cated, and  fifty-eight  dismissed  to  unite  with  other 
churches,  leaving  the  present  number  (April,  1875)  fifty- 
five.  John  L.  Smith  and  Henry  Harris  have  served  the 
church  as  deacons,  and  Jeremiah  K.  Adams,  George  T. 
Arnold  and  Thomas  M.  Holden  as  clerks.  The  records 
of  this  church  have  been  unusually  well  kept,  some  of 
its  clerks  not  only  recording  the  ordinary  business  of  the 
church,  but  also  the  births,  marriages  and  deaths  of  those 
connected  with  it. 

THE  WARWICK  AND  COVENTRY  BAPTIST  CHURCH.* 

The  house  of  worship  connected  with  this  church  is 
located  in  the  village  of  Crompton.  The  legal  title  of 
the  society,  which  is  composed  of  such  persons  as  are 
elected  from  the  male  members  of  the  church,  none 
others  being  eligible,  is,  The  First  Baptibt  Society  of 

*  The  account  of  this  church  is  from  a  recent  discourse  of  the  pastor, 
in  commemoration  of  the  seventieth  anniversary  of  its  organization. 

28 


322  HISTORY   OP   WARWICK. 


Warwick.  The  society  possesses  and  controls  the  church 
property.  The  church  is  one  of  the  mother  churches  of 
the  town,  having  formerly  embraced  within  her  parish 
boundaries  the  territory  now  shaied  by  about  a  score  of 
churches  of  various  orders  which  she  has  seen  spring  up 
around  her.  For  this  reason  a  somewhat  extended 
account  of  her  origin  and  progress  may  perhaps  be 
allowed. 

Three  periods  may  be  noticed.  The  first,  extending 
from  the  organization  to  the  building  of  the  "  Tin  Top  " 
meeting  house  in  Quidnick,  in  1808;  the  second,  from 
that  event  to  the  building  of  the  meeting-house  in  Crornp- 
ton,  in  1843 ;  and  the  third,  from  that  year  to  the  pre- 
sent time. 

The  first  period  embraces  only  about  two  and  a  half 
years  of  time,  and  was  of  an  unsettled,  migratory  char- 
acter, in  "union  the  church  wandered  about  from  place 
to  place  seeking  for  a  permanent  home.  It  commenced 
October  21,  1805,  on  which  date  a  number  of  converts 
belonging  to  East  Greenwich,  Warwick  and  North 
Kingstown,  met  at  East  Greenwich,  at  the  house  of  Mr. 
Caleb  Mathews,  and  after  due  consideration,  decided  "  to 
unite  together  under  the  name  of  the  United  Brethren 
and  Sisters  of  East  Greenwich,  Warwick  and  North 
Kingstown."  On  the  11th  of  November  following,  a 
council  consisting  of  delegates  from  the  First  and  the 
Second  Baptist  Churches  of  Providence,  the  one  at  Re- 
hoboth  and  the  one  at  North  Kingstown,  assembled,  and 
after  the  usual  examinations,  recognized  thenf  as  a 
Christian  church,  witli  the  title  of"  The  Baptist  Church 
of  East  Greenwich,  Warwick  and  North  Kingstown." 
Thirty-seven  persons,  nine  of  whom  were  men,  composed 
the  organization.  With  the  exception  of  Deacon  Shaw 
and  his  wife,  who  were  received  by  letter  from  the  First 
Chuich,  Providence,  they  appear  to  have  been  at  the 
time  but  recently  converted.  Asa  Niles,  an  unordained 
brother,  had  been  preaching  in  East  Greenwich  and  Cen- 
treville,  and  revival  blessings  had  followed  his  earnest 
labors.  Quite  a  number  of  persons  had  been  converted, 
who  afterwards  united  in  the  formation  of  this  church. 


WARWICK   AND   COVENTRY   CHURCH.  323 


Though  Mr.  Niles  did  not  join  the  new  church,  and  was 
not  formally  recognized  as  its  pastor,  he  continued  to 
preach  for  it  until  the  Ma}^  following,  when  the  care  of 
the  church  was  given  to  Rev.  David  Curtis. 

Rev.  Asa  Niles  was  bora  in  Braintree,  Mass.,  Feb.  10,  1777. 
While  in  business  in  Boston,  he  attended  Dr.  Baldwin's  church 
and  was  converted.  Being  convinced  of  his  duty  to  preach  the 
gospel,  be  gave  up  his  business  and  moved  to  Beverly,  where, 
he  studied  with  "  Father  Williams."  Rev.  Mr.  Williams  had 
several  students  at  the  time.  Having  finished  bis  studies,  he 
came  into  Rhode  Island  as  a  missionary,  and  labored  at  Paw- 
tilbket,  Pawtuxet,  East  Greenwich  and  Centreville.  He  was 
an  earnest,  pointed  preacher,  and  the  truths  that  he  uttered 
awakened  much  opposition  among  "  the  baser  sort,"  some  of 
whom  in  the  -\rillages  of  Pawtuxet  and  East  Greenwich  threat- 
ened him  with  personal  violence.  At  one  time,  wbile  he  was 
preaching,  one  of  this  class  threw  a  stone  at  him  through  a 
window,  which  passed  by  his  head,  striking  a  woman  and 
breaking  her  arm.  Elder  Niles  kept  the  stone  for  about  twenty- 
five  years.  At  another  time  they  took  his  horse,  ou  which  he 
rode  to  his  appointments,  and  sheared  his  mane  and  tail,  but  it 
does  not  appear  that  he  preached  any  less  faithfully  on  account 
of  these  persecutions.  After  leaving  this  church,  he  preached 
in  Middletown,  Conn.,  four  years;  Windsor,  Vt,  four  years; 
Salem,  Mass.,  six  years;  Scituate,  Mass.,  Weare,  N.  II.,  Haver- 
bill,  Mass.,  and  then  went  to  Middleboro,  Mass.,  where  he  died 
April  16,  1849,  at  the  age  of  72  years.  His  mind  became  im- 
paired at  the  age  of  sixty-five,  and  there  was  a  gradual  decay  of 
his  mental  powers  until  he  died.  At  his  funeral  there  were  six 
of  his  fellow  ministers,  who  bore  grateful  testimony  to  his  worth 
as  a  servant  of  Christ. 

The  church  worshipped  at  East  Greenwich  a  portion 
of  the  time  in  the  Court  House  and  also  in  an  old  meet- 
ing-house that  has  since  been  destroyed.  At  Centreville 
they  worshipped  in  the  school-house,  in  the  building 
now  used  by  Mr.  Gould  as  a  wheelwright's  shop.  This 
building  had  been  erected  for  both  school  and  religious 
purposes  and,  was  solemnly  dedicated  to  God  with 
appropriate  services.  The  Methodists  also  used  it  a  part 
of  the  time.  It  was  furnished  with  a  gallery  for  the 
singers  over  the  entrance,  and  is  remembered  gratefully 
by  the  few  remaining  individuals  who  were  interested 
worshippers  at  the  time.  The  larger  portion  of  the 
church  residing  in  the  region  of  Centreville,  it  was  finally 


324  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

decided  to  erect  a  suitable  sanctuary  where  they  would 
be  better  accommodated,  and  Quidnick  being  a  central 
position,  was  chosen  as  the  place.  In  view  of  this  the 
church  voted  on  the  27th  of  February,  1808,  to  change 
its  name  to  the  Baptist  Church  of  Warwick  and  Coventry, 
which  it  still  retains.  This  closes  the  rirst  period  of  its 
history. 

•  The  first  event  of  importance  in  the  second  period  is 
the  erection  of  the  new  meeting-house,  which  soon 
became  widely  known  as  the  "  Tin  Top,"  so  called  from 
the  steeple  or  cupola  being  covered  with  tin.  Its  dimei> 
sions  were  sixty  feet  long  by  forty  wide,  with  a  commo- 
dious vestry.  Its  galleries  extended  around  three  sides 
of  the  building.  The  building  was  framed  in  Provi- 
dence, and  rafted  down  the  river  and  around  to  Appo- 
naug,  and  thence  drawn  by  teams  to  the  place  of  erec- 
tion. It  is  said  to  have  been  raised  and  completed  in 
two  months,  and  cost  $3,300.  The  land  on  which  it 
stands  was  given  by  Mr.  Jacob  Greene.  Probably  no 
building  ever  erected  in  Kent  County  ever  awakened  so 
much  interest  as  this.  People  living  miles  away,  with 
curiosity  excited,  came  and  viewed  it  with  wondering 
delight.  Boys  from  the  neighboring  villages  ran  away 
from  school,  attracted  by  its  glittering  tower.  Large 
congregations  gathered  for  worship  within  its  walls,  and 
the  church,  with  grateful  pride,  viewed  the  result  or" 
their  toils  and  sacrifices.  They  had  assumed,  however, 
more  pecuniary  responsibility  than  the}r  felt  able  to  bear, 
and,  in  accordance  with  the  custom  of  the  times,  they 
applied  for  and  received  of  the  General  Assembly  per- 
mission to  raise  $2,000  by  a  lottery.  (Similar  grants 
had  been  made  to  other  churches.  One  to  St.  John's 
Church,  Providence,  in  March  23,  1762,  for  $1,000  ; 
one  for  $2,500  to  Trinity  Church,  June  8,  1767,  New- 
port ;  one  to  the  First  Baptist  Church,  Providence,  for 
<£2,000,  in  June,  1774,  and  at  different  dates  to  various 
other  churches.)  The  plan  did  not  succeed  as  well  as 
was  expected.  After  lingering  along  for  years,  the  grant 
was   sold    to   "  Peirce    &   Burgess  for  $500,  and   John 


WARWICK   AND   COVENTRY   CHURCH.  325 


Allen  was  authorized  to  spend  the  money  in  repairing 
the  house."     The  "  Tin  Top,"  at  this  period,  occasion- 
ally resounded  with  the  voices  of  other  ministers  beside 
that  of  the  pastor,  and  there  are  those  now  living  who 
remember  hearing  Dr.  Stephen  Gano,  the  pastor  of  the 
First   Church,    Providence  ;    President  Asa  Messer,  of 
Brown  University  ;  Dr.  Benedict,  of  Pawtucket ;  Rev.  J. 
Pitman,  and  others,  within  its  walls.     On  the  10th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1810,  the  church  joined  the  Warren  Association. 
The   church  held  their  stated   Sabbath  worship  in  the 
meeting-house  until  about  1880.     Up  to  this  time  various 
places  were  used  for  evening  worship,  and  frequently, 
upon  the  Sabbath,  in  Crompton.     Among  the  buildings 
used  for  such  purposes  was  the  old  "  Cotton  House,"  a 
building   since  removed,  which  stood  just  back   of  the 
Crompton  Company's  stable,  and  the  old  "  Weave  Shop," 
not  far  from  Deacon  Spencer's  store,  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  road.     Elder  Curtis  wrote  me  before  he  died  that 
he  taught  an  evening  school  there,  as  well  as  held  meet- 
ings, and  that  many  of  his  pupils  were  there  converted. 
The  "  Hall  "  house,  that  has  since  been  removed  farther 
south  on  the  turnpike,  oppasite  the  site  of  the  old  Cotton 
House,  was  also  used  for  religious  purposes,  and  other 
buildings  as  they  could  be  obtained,  up  to  the  time  when 
the   "Store  Chamber"   was  fitted   up   for   a   place    of 
worship.     It  is  said  that  the  place  where  the  church  was 
worshipping,  at  the   time  Elder  Ross  was  the  pastor, 
"  became  too  straight  for  the  people,  and  especially  so 
for  the  minister,"   and  larger  and  better  quarters  were 
provided  in  the  Store  Chamber.     This  item  fixes  the 
time  at  about  1830,  when  they  entered  the  latter  place. 
The  church,  from  this  time,  held  its  regular  Sabbath 
services  in  Crompton,  instead  of  Quidnick.     The  "  Tin 
Top  "  was  leased  for  a  time  to  other  worshippers,  and 
was  finally  sold  at  public  auction  to  Wm.   B.  Spencer, 
Esq.,  in  trust  for  the  Rhode  Island  Baptist  State  Con- 
vention, for  the  sum  of  $320.     It  still  remains  in  posses- 
sion of  the  Convention,  though  occupied  by  the  Quidnick 
Baptist  Church,  which  was  organized  in  1851. 

*28 


326  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

Rev.  David  Curtis,  son  of  William  Curtis,  was  born  in  East 
Stoughton,  Mass.,  Feb.  17, 1782.  He  was  educated  at  Brown 
University,  where  he  graduated  in  1808.  He  was  married  to 
Rhoda  Keach,  of  Smithfleld.  B-  I.,  June,  1810,  by  Rev.  Dr. 
Gano.  His  wife  was  born  June  15,  1790,  and  died  Nov.  26, 
1864,  at  East  Stoughton.  Elder  Curtis  died  at  the  same  place 
Sept.  12, 1869.  There  are  two  sisters  of  Elder  Curtis  now 
living.  He  had  thirteen  children,  two  of  whom  are  now  living. 
One  of  his  sisters  married  Rev.  George  Winchester,  a  Metho- 
dist clergyman.  On  February  6,  1819,  Elder  Curtis  took  a 
letter  from  the  church  and  united  with  that  of  Pawtuxet.  He 
was  pastor  at  the  latter  place  at  two  different  times,  and  in 
1821-22  was  the  postmaster.  The  post  office  occupied  a  part 
of  the  house  in  which  he  lived,  which  is  now  standing,  and  is 
the  first  one  south  of  the  bridge  on  the  west  side  of  the  street. 
He  preached  about  two  years  at  Harwich,  Mass.,  and  about  the 
same  length  of  time  at  New  Bedford.  He  then  removed  to 
Abington,  Mass.,  where  he  remained  about  eight  years,  a  part 
of  which  time  he  was  the  pastor  of  the  church  there.  He  then 
removed  to  Fiskeville,  R.  I.,  and  preached  about  two  years, 
also  about  two  years  at  Chepachet.  For  the  last  twenty-five 
years  of  his  life  he  lived  in  East  Stoughton,  preaching  as  he 
had  opportunity  to  various  churches,  but  without  being  Settled 
as  a  pastor.  On  the  death  of  his  father  he  was  left  with  some 
property,  from  which  he  derived  a  comfortable  support  during 
the  latter  years  of  his  life.  For  many  years  previous  to  his 
death  he  made  an  annual  pilgrimage  to  the  scenes  of  bis  early 
labors,  where  he  was  always  welcomed  to  the  pulpit  of  the 
church  and  to  the  homes  of  the  people. 

Elder  Curtis  was  followed  in  the  pastoral  office  by  Rev. 
Levi  Walker,  M.  D.,  who  united  with  the  church  Janu- 
ary 2,  1819,  though  it  appears  he  had  preached  to  the 
church  already  two  years.  Business  in  the  village  of 
Crompton  was  in  a  depressed  state,  growing  out  of  the 
failure  of  the  manufacturing  company,  and  the  church 
found  itself  less  able  than  usual  to  support  a  pastor.  I 
find  on  the  records  of  the  church  a  vote  by  which  they 
agreed  to  raise  for  Dr.  Walker  the  sum  of  fifty  dollars 
for  the  year.  The  doctor  found  it  necessary  to  eke  out 
his  small  salary  by  exercising  his  skill  in  the  healing  art. 
Though  the  scriptures  declare  that  man  shall  not  live  by 
bread  alone,  they  do  not  ignore  the  fact  that  some  bread 
is  necessary.  Mr.  Walker  remained  the  pastor  until 
December,  1819,  and  then  took  a  letter  and  united  with 


WARWICK   AND    COVENTRY    CHURCH.  327 


the  church  at   Preston,  Conn.,  where  he   became    the 
pastor. 

Dr.  Walker  was  born  in  1784.  His  childhood  was  spent  in 
Livermore,  Maine.  He  experienced  religion  about  the  year 
1804,  and  was  for  about  twelve  years  a  zealous  Methodist 
preacher.  His  views  on  the  subject  of  baptism  underwent  a 
change,  and  he  united  with  the  Baptist  Church  in  Fall  River, 
then  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Elder  Borden.  In  1807  he 
married  Phebe  Burroughs,  a  daughter  of  Elder  Peleg  Bur- 
roughs, pastor  of  the  Free  Will  Baptist  Church,  in  Tiverton, 
R.  I.  Dr.  Walker  preached  in  Fall  River,  New  Bedford  and 
Edgartown  previous  to  his  settlement  over  this  church.  After 
leaving  Preston,  Conn.,  he  removed  to  North  Stonington, 
where  he  continued  to  preach  and  practice  medicine  until 
about  the  time  of  his  death.  He  died  in  Winstead,  Conn  ,  at 
the  age  of  87.  "  As  a  preacher  he  was  clear,  logical  and  con- 
vincing, rising  at  times  to  points  of  highest  excellence,  both  in 
matter  and  manner."  He  possessed  considerable  skill  as  a 
physician.  He  had  three  sons  who  entered  the  ministry,  viz. : 
Rev.  W.  C.  Walker,  now  State  Missionary  in  Connecticut; 
Rev.  Levi  Walker,  Jr.,  deceased,  and  Rev.  O.  T.  Walker,  for 
several  years  pastor  of  Bowdoin  Square  Church,  Boston,  now 
pastor  of  the  Third  Baptist  Church,  Providence. 

The  third  pastor,  Rev.  Jonathan  Wilson,  received  a 
call  from  the  church  to  the  pastorate  April  5,  1823, 
which  he  accepted,  and  united  with  the  church  June  8th 
following,  and  remained  until  February  19,  1830.  Dur- 
ing this  period  a  slight  difficulty  arose,  occasioned  by  a 
portion  of  the*church  desiring  to  have  a  young  brother 
whom  the  church  had  licensed,  preach  half  the  time  and 
Mr.  Wilson  the  other  half.  Mr.  Wilson  went  off  to  the 
southern  part  of  the  State  and  preached  about  six 
months,  the  Rev.  Seth  Ewer,  an  agent  of  the  State  Con- 
vention, preaching  in  the  meantime.  He  then  returned 
and  resumed  his  labors  to  the  above  date.  Elder  Wilson 
is  spoken  of  as  an  able  preacher,  but  was  not  thoroughly 
established  in  his  religious  sentiments.  He  went  west 
and  became  a  Millerite.  As  late  as  1847  he  returned  to 
the  east,  and  preached  a  few  weeks  in  Providence,  with 
the  expectation  of  being  soon  translated  to  heaven.  It 
is  said  he  carried  his  ascension  robes  with  him  in  his 
preaching  journeys.     About  this  time  he  made  a  visit  to 


328  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


Centre ville,  calling  on  John  Allen,  who,  doubtless, 
scratched  his  elbow,  but  refused  to  be  converted  to  the 
views  of  his  former  pastor.  His  subsequent  history  is 
unknown. 

The  fourth  pastor  was  Rev.  Arthur  A.  Ross,  who 
united  with  the  church  July  4,  1830,  and  closed  his 
labors  December  18,  1884.  The  parsonage  house  was 
built  by  Henry  Hamilton  for  John  Allen,  in  1881,  who 
afterwards  gave  it  to  the  church. 

Elder  Ro<s  was  born  in  Connecticut,  October,  1790.  Mr. 
Ross'  first  settlement  was  in  Thompson,  Conn.,  in  1819,  where 
he  remained  four  years.  He  was  pastor  successively  at  Che- 
patchet,  one  or  two  years;  Fall  River,  Mass.,  three  years;  Bris- 
tol, Warwick  and  Coventry  Church,  First  Church,  Newport, 
seven  years;  Lonsdale,  two  years;  Nalick,  and  the  Second,  or 
High  Street  Church,  at  Pawtucket.  the  latter  place  about  two 
years.  He  died  in  Pawtucket,  June  16,  1864,  in  his  seventy- 
fourth  year,  and  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  of  his  wife's  rela- 
tives near  Cumberland  Hill.  During  his  ministry  he  baptised 
over  1400  persons.  He  was  a  laborious  and  successful  pastor,  a 
plain,  outspoken  preacher.  While  pastor  at  Newport  he  pub- 
lished a  discourse,  "  Embracing  the  Civil  and  Religious  History 
of  Rhode  Island,"  from  the  first  settlement  of  the  island  to  the 
close  of  the  second  century. 

The  fifth  pastor,  Rev.  Thomas  Dowling,  united  with 
the  church  June  5, 1836  ;  closed  his  labors  August,  1840. 

Mr.  Dowling  was  born  in  Brighton,  Sussex  cpunty,  England, 
April  2,  1S09.  He  is  a  brother  of  Rev.  John  Dowling,  D.  D., 
of  New  York.  Baptised  by  Rev.  Charles  Carpenter,  pastor  of 
the  Baptist  Church,  Somer's  Town,  London;  was  licensed  to 
preach  in  October,  1830,  and  labored  as  a  local  preacher  in 
London  and  vicinity  until  September,  1S33,  when  he  sailed  for 
this  country.  Was  ordained  as  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church 
in  Catskilf,  N.  Y.,  January  14,  1834;  become  pastor  at  Tru- 
mansburg,  N.  Y.,  January  1,  18".5,  from  which  place  he  came 
to  this  church.  From  here  he  went  to  the  Third  Church  in 
North  Stonington,  Conn.,  and  has  continued  to  labor  in  that 
State  ever  since,  (with  the  excepfion  of  two  years  at  Agawani, 
Mass.,)  having  been  settled  as  pastor  at  Willimantic.  Central, 
Thompson,  Tolland,  and  other  places.  In  1873  he  resumed  the 
pastorate  at  Tolland,  where  he  now  resides. 

Mr.  Dowling  probably  closed  his  labors  as  pastor  a 
short   time   previous   to  his   taking   a   letter  from    the 


WARWICK   AND   COVENTRY   CHURCH.  329 

church,  as  during  the  interval  preceding  the  settlement 
of  the  next  pastor,  Rev.  Dr.  D.  W.  Phillips,  now  Presi- 
dent of  the  Nashville  Institute,  in  Tennessee,  but  then  a 
student  of  Brown  University,  supplied  the  church  for 
about  six  months,  preaching  at  the  Tin  Top  and  the 
Store  Chamber.  Dr.  Phillips  recently  revisited  the 
scene  of  his  early  labors,  and  preached  for  the  church  on 
the  second  Sabbath  of  June  of  the  present  year,  receiving 
a  contribution  from  the  church  and  Sabbath  school  of 
$72  00  for  the  work  in  which  he  is  engaged. 

The  sixth  pastor  was  Rev.  Thomas  Wilkes,  who  united 
with  the  church  November  8,  1840 ;  closed  his  labors 
August,  1842. 

Mr.  Wilkes  subsequently  removed  to  the  city  of  New  York, 
where  he  ministered  to  a  congregation  of  Swedenborgians.  His 
ministry  (here  appears  to  have  been  of  short  duration.  The 
three  principal  members  of  his  congregation,  from  whom  he 
received  his  principal  pecuniary  support,  it  is  said,  failed  him; 
one  died,  another  failed  in  business,  and  the  third  removed 
from  the  city.    Of  his  subsequent  history  I  have  no  knowledge. 

January  16,  1842,  six  persons  were  dismissed  to  unite 
with  others  at  Phenix  to  form  a  new  Baptist  church, 
and  the  pastors  and  three  delegates  were  appointed  to 
attend  the  council  to  be  held  there  on  the  20th  of  that 
month. 

As  we  look  over  the  records  to  learn  what  measure  of 
prosperity  attended  the  efforts  of  the  church  during  this 
second  period  of  its  history,  Ave  conclude  that  God  blest 
their  efforts  abundantly.  There  were  special  seasons  of 
refreshing,  to  which  we  shall  refer  hereafter,  and  seasons 
of  spiritual  drought ;  times  when  they  were  led  to 
rejoice,  and  others  when  they  were  in  heaviness.  Up  to 
this  time  the  church  had  a  large  field  to  cultivate  com- 
pared  with  its  present  limited  one.  Previous  to  1840 
there  was  no  other  church  of  the  same  order  in  any  of 
the  villages  about  us.  Since  then  the  churches  at 
Phenix,  Natick,  Coventry  Central,  the  present  Quidnick 
Church,  and  the  one  at  Old  Warwick,  have  all  been 
organized.  The  population  was,  also,  almost  entirely 
native,  where  now  it  is  so  largely  foreign. 


330  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK. 

The  third  and  last  period  of  its  history,  extending  from 
1843  to  the  present  time,  is  more  generally  known,  and 
will  be  considered  briefly. 

On  February  21,  1843,  a  special  church  meeting  was 
held  in  Centreville,  but  at  what  house  the  record  does 
not  indicate.  At  this  meeting  among  those  present,  now 
living  among  us,  aud  as  interested  in  the  present  progress 
of  the  church  now  as  at  that  time,  were  Bro.  Albert  H. 
Arnold  and  Deacon  Alfred  Dawley.  "  Bro.  John  Allen 
made  a  proposition  to  the  church  that  he  would  build  a 
meeting  house  for  them  on  condition  that  the  church 
would  build  a  vestry  to  place  the  house  upon."  The 
church  voted  to  accept  the  offer.  An  agreement  was 
then  made  as  follows,  Bro.  Allen  agreed  to  build  a  house 
of  wood,  "  40  by  50  feet,  paint  and  furnish  the  same  in 
modern  style  excepting  cushions  and  lamps."  The 
church  agreed  to  purchase  a  lot  and  build  a  vestry  in  a 
style  to  correspond  with  the  house,  furnish  it  with  cush- 
ions, lamps,  bell,  furnace,  and  also  to  fence  the  lot.  The 
agreement  was  faithfully  carried  out,  and  the  house  in 
due  time  soletnnky  dedicated  to  God.  The  lot  cost  $ 400  ; 
$1400  further  were  expended  by  the  church ;  Bro.  Allen 
expended  $2300,  making  the  total  cost  $4100. 

The  dedication  was  a  season  of  great  joy  to  the  church. 
Rev.  John  Dowling,  then  pastor  of  the  Pine  Street 
Church,  Providence,  preached  the  sermon  ;  Rev.  Edward 
K.  Fuller,  pastor,  Rev.  J.  Brayton  and  others  partici- 
pated in  the  services.  Thiity-five  years  had  now  elapsed 
since  their  first  sanctuary,  the  Tin  Top,  was  dedicated, 
and  now  a  second  temple  had  been  raised  and  set  apart 
to  the  same  service.  As  the  church  reviewed  her  history 
she  had  abundant  reason  to  thank  God  and  take  courage. 

John  Allen,  to  whom  the  church  was  indehted  so  much  from 
the  time  of  its  organization,  was  one  of  the  constituent  mem- 
bers of  the  church,  aud  for  "  nearly  thirty  years"  its  clerk. 
Reference  has  heen  made  to  him  in  connection  with  the  ac- 
count of  the  village  of  Centreville.  He  died  July  2G,  1845.  His 
painted  portrait  is  in  possession  of  Mrs.  Alexander  Allen,  of 
Centreville.  He  gave  the  church  also  the  parsonage  house  and 
lot,  and  bequeathed  on  the  death  of  his  widow,  the  lot  of  land 


WARWICK   AND   COVENTRY    CHURCH.  331 


on  the  north  of  it.  The  following  is  an  extract  from  his  last 
will  devising  this  land  : 

"  I  give  and  devise  to  the  First  Baptist  Society  in  Warwick, 
the  lot  of  land  noith  of  the  Parsonage  after  my  wife's  decease, 
the  some  to  be  held  and  possessed  by  said  society,  their  suc- 
cessors forever,  for  the  use  of  the  pastor  of  the  Warwick  and 
Coventry  Baptist  Church,  in  addition  to  his  salary,  reserving  a 
passage  way  10  my  burial  lot." 

Mr.  Allen  in  his  will  devised  the  lot  of  land  now  called  Point 
Pleasant  Cemetery,  opposite  the  Baptist  Parsonage,  and  his 
farm  of  about  eighty  acres  in  West  Greenwich,  to  the  American 
Tract  Society ;  six  shares  in  the  Warwick  Manufacturing  Co.,  and 
thirty-rive  shares  in  the  Providence  and  Pawcatuck  Turnpike 
Co.,  with  several  acres  of  land  south  of  the  Baptist  paisonage, 
to  the  Missionary  Union;  ten  shares  in  the  City  Bank,  Provi- 
dence, for  the  support  of  a  missionary  in  China;  two  shares  in 
the  Warwick  Manufacturing  Co..  fifty-three  shares  in  the  Cen- 
treville  Bank,  and  sixteen  shares  in  the  Bank  of  Kent,  Coventry, 
for  Home  Missions;  to  the  II.  I.  Baptist  State  Convention,  thirty- 
four  shares  in  the  Bank  of  Kent,  Coventry,  and  thirty-seven 
pews  in  the  "  Tin  Top "  meeting  house,  and  twenty-five 
shares  in  the  Centrcville  Bank,  to  the  American  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society — all  these  bequests  to  be  paid  after  the  death  of 
his  wife. 

The  seventh  pastor  was  Rev.  Edward  K.  Fuller,  who 

united  with  the  church  August,  1843 ;  closed  his  labors 

April  15,  1816. 

Mr.  Fuller  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  Second  Baptist 
Church,  Providence,  June,  1836.  Ordained  b\*  the  "  Indepen- 
dent" Baptist  Church,  Pawtucket,  (now  High  street)  April  4, 
1838,  where  he  remained  three  years.  Was  two  years  General 
A«ent  of  the  R.  I.  Sunday  School  Union.  After  leaving  here 
he  was  pastor  at  Somerset,  Medford,  Beading,  in  Massachu- 
setts, South  Providence,  New  York  City,  New  London  and  Ja- 
maica, L.  I.  Now  laboring  as  an  Evangelist.  Residence,  Prov- 
idence, R.  I. 

The  eighth  pastor  was  Rev.  George  A.  Willard.  who  united 
wilh  the  church  May  1,  1847;  closed  his  labors  July  1st,  1850. 
Mr.  Willard  was  born  in  Lancaster,  Mass.,  in  1810;  ordained 
August  20,  1843,  at  Cummington,  Mass.,  where  he  preached 
until  1847.  He  was  pastor  at  Old  Warwick  from  1850  to  1859; 
He  opened  there  a  Family  Boarding  School  for  Boys,  which  he 
kept  until  1807,  preaching  as  he  had  opportunity  at  Natick  and 
other  places;  was  for  Some  time  Town  Superintendent  of  Public 
r>chonis.    He  is  at  present  a  pastor  at  Ashfield,  Mass. 

The  ninth  pastor  was  Rev.  Jonathan  Bray  ton,  who 


332  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

commenced  preaching   to   the  church   Aug.  25,   1850  ; 
closed  his  labors  January  1st,  1854. 

The  tenth  pastor  was  Rev.  L.  W.  Wheeler,  who 
preached  about  a  year.  Mr.  Wheeler  has  recently  set- 
tled as  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  Jefferson,  N.  H., 
having  removed  from  Lyme  Centre,  of  the  same  state. 
A  letter  forwarded  to  him  failed  of  a  response.  The 
church  after  Mr.  Wheeler  left  was  destitute  of  a  pastor 
for  a  year  or  more,  when  Mr.  Brayton  was  recalled  and 
commenced  laboring  April  1,  1857,  and  continued  until 
ill  health  compelled  him  to  relinquish  his  charge  in  Jan- 
uary, 1859.  He  however  continued  to  preach  occasionally 
being  assisted  during  the  remainder  of  the  year  by  Mr. 
C.  C.  Burrows,  a  student  of  Brown  University. 

Kev.  Jonathan  Brayton  was  born  at  Cranston,  June  12,  1811. 
Baptized  at  Knightsville,  when  about  sixteen  years  old,  by 
Elder  Pardon  Tillinghast.  At  eighteen  years  of  age  he  went 
to  Providence  to  learn  the  carpenter's  trade,  where  with  a  few 
others,  he  united  in  the  organization  of  a  Six  Principle  Baptist 
church,  now  known  as  the  Roger  Williams  Church.  Assisted 
in  building  a  meeting-house  for  the  church  (which  was  subse- 
quently burnt.)  While  at  work  on  the  inside  of  the  steeple,  he 
accidentally  fell  a  distance  of  sixty  feet,  striking  on  the  staging 
on  the  way  down,  breaking  his  leg  and  otherwise  injuring  him, 
and  was  taken  up  insensible.  This  concluded  his  carpentering 
work  and  changed  entirely  his  course  of  life.  His  thoughts 
were  now  turned  to  study  and  a  preparation  for  the  ministry. 
Taught  school  three  years  in  Fall  River,  preaching  dining  a 
part  of  the  time  at  Tiverton,  and  then  went  to  Hamilton  Uni- 
versity and  took  the  Theological  Course,  preaehiug  to  the 
neighboring  churches  during  the  time.  Here  he  was  ordained 
by  the  Faculty.  Came  east  and  began  preaching  in  Phenix,  in 
1811-2,  his  labors  resulting  in  the  formation  of  the  Baptist 
church  in  that  village.  During  the  winter  and  spring  119  were 
baptized;  for  about  two  years  of  his  stay  at  Phenix  he  preached 
monlhly  at  Natick,  aud  often  at  Fiskeville.  For  several  years 
on  account  of  illness  did  not  preach.  In  1851,  preached  at 
Quidnick  and  assisted  in  organizing  a  church,  preaching 
half  the  day  at  Crompton  for  upwards  of  three  years.  At  the 
conclusion  of  his  labors  at  Quidnick,  went  to  High  Street 
Church,  Pawtucket,  and  labored  a  year  and  a  half,  when  he 
returned  to  Crompton  Church. 

In  1858-9  the  meetinghouse  was  thoroughly  repaired, 

the  galleries  cut  down,  new  pulpit  put  in,  &c. 


WARWICK   AND    COVENTRY   CHURCH.  333 


The  present  pastor,  Oliver  Payson  Fuller,  was  called 
by  the  church  December,  1859  ;  commenced  labor  Jan- 
uary, 1860  ;  united  with  the  church  March  4th,  by  letter 
from  the  church  in  Canton,  Massachusetts,  by  which  he 
was  licensed  ;  ordained  March.  7,  and  continues  to  preach, 
qualis  ab  incepto. 

Mrs.  Audrey  S.  Briggs,  widow  of  the  late  James 
Briggs,  died  July  27,  187-3.  In  her  will,  she  bequeathed 
the  sum  of  #50  to  the  church.  Both  she  and  her  hus- 
band united  with  the  church  January  7,  1857,  and  were 
devoted  members  uni.il  their  death. 

In  1866,  further  changes  and  improvements  were 
made  in  the  meeting  house ;  the  ante-rooms  were  parti- 
tioned off,  the  orchestra  window  put  in,  and  a  new 
Mason  &  Hamlin  organ,  costing  $125  was  given  by  Gen. 
James  Waterhouse.  In  1873,  the  house  was  again  repaired, 
the  interior  handsomely  frescoed,  &c,  the  whole  costing 
about  $1,200. 

Christopher  C.  Burrows,  a  member  of  the  church  was 
ordained  to  the  work  of  the  ministry  July  13,  1863, 
while  a  member  of  Brown  University,  but  did  not  enter 
upon  a  pastorate  until  1369,  when  he  settled  at  Davis- 
ville,  in  this  State. 

Mr.  Burrows  was  born  at  Busty,  Chautauque  County,  N.  Y., 
April  23,  1S25.  While  at  Davisville,  he  baptized  112  persons. 
He  resigned  his  charge  at  Davisville,  in  1873,  to  take  charge  of 
the  Broadway,  Baptist  Church,  Providence.  He  is  settled  at 
the  present  time  in  Lynn,  Mass. 

The  following  persons  have  been  licensed  by  the  church: 
Samuel  Greene,  November  20,  1818;  Charles  Weaver, 
March  24,  1828 ;  Henry  Clark,  Feb.  25,  1832  ;  Thomas 
Tew,  Apiil  11.  1837  ;  William  Lawless,  December  29, 
1815. 

Samuel  Greene  never  settled  as  a  pastor.  He  died  a  few 
years  ago  at  an  advanced  age.  in  Coventry. 

Charles  Weaver  was  born  in  Coventry,  April  11.  1803;  bap- 
tized in  Washington  Village,  February,  1S23.  Married  Diana 
Northup,  June,  1823;  commenced  preaching  at  Anthony  Vil- 
lage, February  10,  1828:  organized  a  Sabbath  School  at  the 
"Tin  Top''  June  1st,  1828;  ordained  at  Fkkeville,  April  16. 

29 


334  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


1829;  left  Fiskeville,  in  1833,  and  was  pastor  successively  at 
Plainfield,  three  years,  Voluntown,  six  years,  Suffield,  four 
years,  Norwich,  four  years,  Noank,  eleven  years  and  Volun- 
town, the  second  lime,  from  1N71  to  ihe  present  time.  In  an 
interesting  letter  dated  April  13,  1875,  Mr.  Weaver  says  he  has 
baptized  1(H0  converts,  and  has  "been  preaching  forty-seven 
years,  and  have  never  seen  a  single  Sabbath  that  1  was  not  able 
to  preach."  * 

Henry  Clark  was  born  in  Canterbury,  Ct.,  November  12, 
1810.  lie  commenced  teaching  in  Centreville  in  1820,  boarding 
in  the  family  of  John  Allen.  In  the  summer  of  1^30  he  was 
baptizi  d  by  Eldest  lieiss,  and  united  with  this  church.  His  first 
attempt  to  preach  was  in  the  "  Store  Chamber"  on  the  day 
that  he  was  licensed  to  preach.  In  1834,  he  married  Mary 
Dorrance  of  Anthony  Village,  who  is  still  living  though  their 
children  seven  in  number,  have  all  died.  He  studied  at  the 
Hamilton  Literary  and  Theological  Institution  He  was  or- 
dained pastor  of  the -church  at  feeekonk,  Ma^s  ,  in  June,  1834, 
and  remained  three  years;  was  pastor  successively  in  Taunton, 
lor  two  and  a  half  years  from  1837;  Canton,  Mass.,  in  1840  to 
1842;  Randolph,  1812  to  184(5,  when  his  health  tailing,  he  relin- 
quished the  pastorate  until  1870,  when  he  became  pastor  at 
Kenosha,  Wisconsin.  In  1872,  he  settled  over  the  church  at 
Pewaukee,  same  State,  remaining  two  years,  when  he  returned 
to  his  former  charge  in  the  city  ot  Kenosha,  where  he  still 
remains.  During  his  ministry  he  has  baptized  about  300 
persons. 

Thomas  Tew,  licensed  as  above,  preached  for  a  while 
in  different  places,  and  became  the  agent  of  the  Rhode 
Island  Temperance  Organization.  A  letter  of  inquiry 
respecting  him,  addressed  to  his  son,  failed  of  a  reply. 

William  Lawless,  though  a  member  of  the  church 
never  lived  here.  His  residence  being  in  Bristol,  where 
he  died  a  few  years  ago.  He  was  never  ordained  but 
continued  to  exercise  his  gifts  in  public  as  he  had  oppor- 
tunity. 

The  following  persons  have  served  the  church  as  dea 
cons:  Alexander  Shaw,  Palmer  Tanner,  Caleb  Ladd, 
Ephraim  Martin,  Warren  Rice,  James  Tilley,  Edwin 
Miller,  Thomas  Tilley,  N.  T.  Allen,  Jesse  Brown,  Ira 
Stiliman,  Pardon  Spencer,  Alfred  Dawley,  Asa  Cran- 
dall.     The  last  three  are  the  present  worthy  deacons. 

N.  T.  Allen  was  dismissed  by  letter  to  unite  with  the  Phenix 
church  suon  after  its  organization,  and  from  which  he  received 


WARWICK  AND   COVENTRY   CHURCH.  335 

a  license  to  preach.  He  was  ordained  at  Waterford,  Conn. 
August  lS4(i;  was  pastor  successively,  at  Groton,  six  years, 
JTaiick,  two  years,  Jewett  City,  twelve  years.  He  then  returned 
to  Groton  where  he  has  beeu  settled  the  past  six  years. 

The  following  persons  have  served  the  church  as 
clerks  ;  Barnabas  Greene,  John  Allen,  Whipple  A.  Ar- 
nold, William  Brown,  Robert  Bennett,  Pardon  Spencer, 
and  Charles  T.  Carpenter. 

The  records  fail  to  give  the  names  of  those  who  have 
served  as  treasurers.  Among  those  of  the  past  twenty 
years,  are  Dea.  Pardon  Spencer,  John  J.  Wood,  Deacon 
Alfred  Dawley,  Peleg  Brown,  Amos  Johnson,  James  E. 
Whitford,  and  Gideon  B.  Whitford. 

IS  early  seventy  years  have  elapsed  since  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  church.  The  fathers  and  mothers  have  all 
departed,  but  the  great  truths  of  the  gospel  which  taught 
them  how  to  live  and  how  to  die,  remain  the  same  for 
the  instruction  of  their  successors.  The  word  of  the 
Lord  endures  forever.  In  looking  over  the  records  I 
find  that  there  has  been  at  least  twenty  years  in  the  his- 
tory of  this  church  when  at  least  fifteen  persons  per  year 
have  been  added  to  its  number;  six  years  in  which  not 
less  than  forty  per  year  were  added  ;  three  years  when 
not  less  than  eighty  per  year  were  added,  and  one  year 
when  ninety-three  were  added.  The  whole  number 
added  during  the  whole  time  has  been  about  eight  hun- 
dred  and  forty-five,  one  hundred  and  one  of  whom  have 
united  during  the  present  pastorate,  upwards  of  seventy 
of  them  being  by  baptism.  The  present  number  is  one 
hundred  and  ten. 

The  following  is  a  brief  account  of  the  Sabbath  School 
connected  with  the  Warwick  and  Coventry  Baptist 
Church  : 

The  earliest  item  that  I  have  been  able  to  find  of  an  authentic 
character  respecting  the  Sabbatb  School  connected  with  this 
church,  is  that  furnisbed  by  Miss  Abby  Sweet,  a  lady  now  in 
her  77th  year,  who  says  she  attended  a  Sabbath  School  in  the 
old  weave  shop,  when  she  was  about  thirteen  years  of  a<ie,  or 
in  the  year  1811.  The  school  she  says  was  conducted  by  James 
Smith,  a  man  from  Connecticut.  In  the  winter  of  1816-17, 
Major  Jonathan  Tiffany,  who  was  then  the  agent  or  manager 


336  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


.  of  the  mills  in  Crompton,  then  called  the  Stone  Factory,  rep- 
resented to  Mr.  Obadiab  Brown,  of  Providence,  the  religious 
needs  of  the  place.  Mr.  Brown  gave  a  dozen  bibles,  and  two 
dozen  testaments  for  the  use  of  a  Sabbath  School  which  was 
then  in  progress.  Deacon  Shaw  was  superintendent  of  the 
school.  lr,  was  held  in  the  old  weave  shop  and  subsequently  in 
the  "  Hall"  house.  For  several  years  after  Deacon  Shaw  left, 
there  was  no  school,  and  only  at  irreguiar  intervals  until  the 
summer  of  1827,  when  James  Greene  became  the  superinten- 
dent, and  continued  the  school  through  the  summer  and  per- 
haps, the  following  summer.  It  does  not  appear  that  the 
school  continued  through  the  winter  seasons  until  it  found 
quarters  in  the  "  Store  Chamber."  in  the  year  1830,  when  there 
were  facilities  for  warming  the  room  comfortably.  On  the 
evening  of  May  25th,  1830,  a  meeting  was  held,  which  adopted 
the  following  preamble  and  constitution: 

"  Wiikreas,  we  the  subscribers  being  desirous  of  improving 
the  morals  of  the  children  and  youth  ia  our  village,  and  of 
affording  them  the  means  of  such  instruction  as  is  consistent 
with  the  sacredness  of  the  Christian  Sabbath;  and  believing 
that  Sabbath  schools  are  eminently  calculated  to  effect  these 
objects,  we  unite  in  a  society  and  agree  to  adopt  the  following 

CONSTITUTION. 

Article  1.  This  society  shall  be  called  the  Crompton 
Mills  Female  Sabbath  School  Society  in  Warwick,  auxiliary  to 
the  Rhode  Island  Sunday  School  Union. 

Art.  2.  Any  person  may  become  a  member  of  this  society 
by  signing  th  •  constitution  and  paying  124  cents  per  quarter. 

Art.  3.  There  shall  be  a  President,  Secretary  and  Treasurer 
and  board  of  Directors." 

The  remaining  articles  prescribe  the  duties  of  the  officers, 
and  the  appointment  of  a  Superintendent  and  teachers,  who 
were  to  have  the  immediate  oversight  of  the  school. 

The  quarterly  payments  were  exacted  of  those  who  became 
members  of  the  society.  The  Sabbath  School  was  free  to  all. 
In  some  places,  in  the  early  history  of  the  Sabbath  School 
wurk,  the  teachers  were  paid  as  in  the  week  day  schools,  but  it 
does  not  appear  that  any  were  thus  paid  in  connection  with  this 
school. 

To  this  constitution  were  appended  the  names  of  seventy-five 
persons,  of  whom  Crawford  Titus,  John  J.  Woo  i,  James  Tilley, 
Silas  Clapp,  John  Speucer,  Jr.,  George  A.  Bailey,  Pardon 
Spencer,  Jonathan  L.  Pierce,  Jeremiah  Randall  and  Jonathan 
Steadman.  were  the  first  ten.  On  the  evening  of  May  26, 
Crawford  Titus,  acting  as  moderator,  Pardon  Spencer  was 
chosen  president,  for  the  ensuing  year;  John  J.  Wood,  treas- 
urer; Leonard  Lovelaud,  superintendent  ;  Washington  Wilkin- 


WARWICK   AND   COVENTRY   CHURCH.  337 


son  and  James  Tilley,  a  Board  of  Directors.  On  June  5th, 
1S30.  a  series  of  rules  for  the  government  of  the  school  were 
adopted.* 

At  a  special  meeting  held  August  16,  1830,  Crawford  Titus, 
John  Spencer,  Jonathan  Smith,  Philip  Brayton,  Mrs.  Titus, 
Mrs.  Remington,  Mrs.  Whitman,  Mrs.  Cook  Mrs.  Clapp,  Mrs. 
Smith,  Miss  Lydia  Smith,  Mrs.  Higgins,  Mrs.  Wood,  Mrs. 
Pearce,  were  appointed  a  committee  to  examine  the  school. 
Crawford  Titus  was  appointed  Librarian.  Elder  Ross  was 
requested,  by  vote,  to  deliver  an  address  to  the  school  the  fol- 


*  As  these  rules  are  somewhat  unique  in  character  we  give  them  in 
full. 

"  Rule  1.  The  duty  of  the  Superintendent  shall  be  to  see  that  each 
scholar  is  in  the  right  class;  also  to  see  that  there  is  a  teacher  to  each 
class;  to  take  the  name  of  each  scholar  and  enter  it  on  his  book:  also 
to  record  the  names  of  the  best  scholars  which  the  teachers  may  report 
to  him;  and  also  to  see  that  a  chapter  is  read  from  the  scriptures  at 
the  opening  of  the  school,  and  that  it  is  closed  with  prayer. 

2.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  teachers  of  the  Testament  classes  to 
hear  the  recitations,  and  attend  to  reading  in  the  Testament  twice;  in 
spelling  twice,  and  spell  uut  of  the  bjok  once.  The  remaining  time 
until  the  close  of  the  school  shall  be  improved  in  reading,  spelling, 
conversation,  or  any  instruction  the  teacher  shall  find  necessary  for 
the  improvement  ot  the  scholars. 

3.  Classes  reading  in  the  Spelling  Book  shall  read  and  spell  the  same 
number  of  times  as  the  Testament  classes;  remaining  time  to  be  im- 
proved in  the  same  manner. 

4.  Any  scholar  behaving  in  an  unbecoming  manner,  the  teacher 
shall  report  him  to  the  Superintendent  and  he  shall  put  him  in  the  bad 
scholars'  class. 

5.  If  by  disobedience  they  continue  in  the  bad  scholars'  class  four 
Sabbaths,  the  Superintendent  shall  report  them  to  their  parents. 

6.  If  such  scholar  or  scholars  attend  the  school  the  next  Sabbath 
after  being  reported  to  their  parents  and  behave  themselves  properly 
for  the  day,  they  shall  be  received  into  their  former  class;  if  not,  at  the 
close  of  the  school,  such  scholar  or  scholars  shall  be  dismissed  from 
the  school  until  they  will  become  obedient  to  its  rules. 

7.  The  teachers  of  those  classes  which  have  the  privilege  of  taking 
books  from  the  library,  shall  report  to  the  Superintendent  those  schol- 
ars who  merit  books. 

8.  Those  scholars  that  attend  the  school  more  than  nine  Sabbaths 
in  a  quarter  shall  be  rewarded  according  to  the  number  of  Sabbaths 
they  attend. 

9.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  each  teacher  every  Sabbath  to  endeavor 
to  impress  upon  the  minds  of  the  scholars  the  importance  of  obedience 
to  their  parents  and  teachers,  of  constant  and  early  attendance  at 
school,  and  good  behavior  in  and  out  of  school,  of  getting  their  lessons 
well  and  keeping  the  Sabbath  day  holy;  of  not  indulging  in  profane 
language  and  lying,  nor  in  any  of  the  vices  which  youth  are  exposed 
to;  vising  such  arguments  to  enforce  their  instructions  as  are  suited  to 
the  capacity  of  their  scholars. 

10.     It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Superintendent  to  read,  or  cause  to  be 
read,  these  rules  at  the  opening  of  the  school  every  second  Sabbath." 

*29 


338  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


lowing  Sabbath.  April  9, 1831,  Pardon  Spencer  was  re-elected 
President,  Leonard  Loveland  and  Sanford  Durfee  superin- 
tendents; Crawford  Titus  librarian.  At  this  meeting  the 
admission  fee  was  reduced  to  twenty-five  cunts  per  year,  and 
at  the  annual  meeting  the  following  year  the  teachers  were 
admitted  free.  Mr.  JJurfee  continued  in  the  office  of  superin- 
tendent until  the  year  184S,  and  was  followed  by  Mr.  Jesse 
Brown  for  a  year  or  two,  when  Dea.  Pardon  Spencer  was 
elected,  and  continued  in  office  until  the  spring  of  1.871,  since 
which  time  Bev.  J.  Bray  ton  has  filled  the  office.  The  other 
officers  at  present  are  Charles  M.  6eekell,  assistant  superin- 
tendent; Charles  T.  Carpenter,  secretary;  Job  Spencer,  treas- 
urer, and  John  Northup,  librarian. 


NATICK  FIRST   BAPTIST    CHURCH. 

The  church  was  organized  on  the  23d  of  November, 
1839,  and  was  composed  of  sixteen  persons  of  regular 
Baptist  Churches,  residing  in  the  village  and  its  vicinity. 
Alanson  Wood  was  appointed  deacon,  and  Fayette 
Barrows,  clerk.  On  the  25th  of  December,  following,  a 
council,  composed  of  delegates  from  the  First,  Second, 
Third  and  Fourth  Churches  of  Providence,  the  Paw- 
tucket,  the  Warwick  and  Coventry,  the  Arkwright  and 
Fiskeville,  and  the  Quidnesett,  assembled  and  after  the 
usual  examination,  publicly  recognized  the  body  as  the 
Natick  First  Baptist  Church. 

The  first  members  received  by  the  new  church  were 
Pardon  Spencer  and  his  wife,  Sybil  Spencer  who  were 
received  Jan.  26,  1840,  by  letter  from  the  Exeter  Bap- 
tist Church,  the  hand  of  fellowship  being  given  by  Rev. 
S.  S.  Mallory.  The  first  member  received  by  baptism 
was  sister  S.  Thornton,  who  was  baptized  by  Rev. 
Thomas  Tew,  May  24,  1840.  The  church  was  received 
into  the  Warren  Association,  Sept.  9,  1840.  On  Nov. 
16,  of  this  year,  Rev.  Arthur  A.  Ross  accepted  the  invi- 
tation of  the  church  to  become  its  pastor,  "  while  he 
continues  in  this  village."  This  pastorate  of  Mr.  Ross 
appears  to  have  been  of  short  duration,  as  on  Feb.  18, 
1841,  the  church  appointed  "  a  committee  to  supply  the 
pulpit*'     At  the  same  meeting,   George  K.   Clark  was 


NATICK  FIRST   BAPTIST   CHURCH.  339 

appointed  a  deacon.  On  June  25,  1841,  Smith  W. 
Pearce  was  elected  clerk,  and  served  in  that  capacity 
until  he  was  appointed  deacon,  Dec.  25,  1847.  April 
14,  1842,  Samuel  Peterman  was  appointed  deacon  in 
place  of  Deacon  Wood,  who  had  removed  from  the  vil- 
lage. The  year,  1842,  was  a  prosperous  year  to  the 
church,  during  which  time  a  large  number  united  with 
the  church,  among  them  some  who  continued  many 
years  to  be  the  faithful  burden  bearers  of  the  church. 
On  March  20,  1843,  the  church  invited  Rev.  Jonathan 
Bray  ton  to  the  pastorate  of  the  church  ;  Mr  Bray  ton 
accepted  and  continued  in  this  relation  until  June  23, 1844. 
He  was  also  pastor  at  the  same  time  of  the  Phenix 
Church. 

On  April  25,  1847,  Rev.  Arthur  A.  Ross  was  again 
called  to  the  pastorate  of  the  church.  In  June,  1849, 
Moses  Whitman  was  appointed  the  Trustee  of  the  Re- 
lief Fund.  This  fund  was  raised  by  voluntary  contri- 
butions, for  the  relief  of  the  poor  connected  with  the 
church.  On  December  4th,  1851,  Rev.  Stephen  Thomas, 
who  had  previously  been  connected  with  the  Six  Princi- 
ple Baptists,  and  had  changed  his  views  to  those  held  by 
this  church,  was  invited  to  assume  the  pastoral  care  of 
the  church.  Mr.  Thomas  accepted  the  invitation  and 
was  publicly  installed  as  pastor,  June  2d,  1852.  He 
continued  to  preach  until  Rev.  N.  T.  Allen  commenced 
his  labors.  Mr.  Allen  became  pastor  January,  1855, 
having  preached  for  the  church  several  months  previous 
to  that  date.     He  resigned  Nov.  4,  1855. 

Rev.  A.  Sherwin  was  publicly  recognized  as  pastor  of 
the  church,  July  2,  1856,  and  remained  one  year,  when 
he  resigned  and  became  pastor  of  the  High  Street  Bap- 
tist Church  at  Pawtucket.  For  about  six  months  fol- 
lowing the  resignation  of  Mr.  Sherwin,  Rev.  O.  P. 
Fuller,  then  a  student  of  Brown  University,  supplied  the 
church,  and  until  the  Rev.  Geo.  Mathews  commenced 
his  labors.  The  closing  part  of  the  year  1857,  was  the 
year  of  the  general  revival  throughout  the  country,  and 
this  church  shared  in  the  spiritual  blessings,   forty-one 


340  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

persons  uniting  with  the  church  by  baptism.  Mr. 
Mathews  accepted  the  pastoral  care  of  the  church,  March 
30,  1858,  and  resigned  April  9,  1859. 

From  this  time  until  the  fall  of  1863,  the  church  was 
supplied  by  different  persons,  chiefly  by  Rev.  Harris 
Howard,  who  finally  left  to  accept  a  commission  as  chap- 
lain in  the  army.  Rev.  George  L.  Putnam  was  called 
to  the  pastorate  Nov.  7,  1863,  commencing  his  labors  as 
pastor  in  the  December  following,  and  closed  in  the 
autumn  of  1865.  On  Sept.  22,  1866,  Rev.  J.  H.  Tilton 
was  invited  to  become  pastor,  and  commenced  Nov.  18, 
1866,  closing  June  13,  1869.  He  was  followed  by  Rev. 
Charles  L.  Frost  on  July  4,  1869,  who  continued  to 
preach  until  July  4.  1875.  His  wife,  Henrietta 
Frost,  died  March  6,  1873.  The  present  pastor,  Rev. 
"Warren  S.  Emery,  was  invited  by  the  church  to  assume 
its  pastoral  care,  August  24,  1875. 

The  following  persons  have  served  the  church  as  dea- 
cons, viz.  :  Alanson  Wood,  George  K.  Clark,  Christopher 
S.  Warner,  Smith  W.  Pearce,  Henry  A.  Bowen,  George 
W.  Harrington,  Moses  Wightman  and  S.  II.  Tillinghast. 

The  following  persons  have  served  as  clerks,  viz. : 
Fayette  Barrows,  Smith  W.  Pearce,  John  D.  Spink, 
John  W.  Money,  Henry  A.  Bowen,  Wm.  H.  Potter  and 
Byron  D.  Remington. 

On  December  27,  1847,  the  church  licensed  Deacon 
George  K.  Clark  to  preach  the  gospel.  On  January  12, 
1871,  the  church  met  with  a  severe  loss,  in  the  death  of 
George  W.  Harrington,  who  had  served  the  church  as  a 
deacon  since  his  appointment,  May  2,  1859.  Deacon 
Harrington  was  a  warm-hearted,  sincere  christian  man, 
and  is  held  in  giateful  remembrance.  Early  in  the  pre- 
sent year  the  church  met  with  a  still  severer  loss,  in  the 
death  of  Deacon  Moses  Wightman,  who  had  been  con- 
nected with  the  church  since  1842.  The  following  ap- 
preciative lines  are  taken  from  the  "  Watchman  and 
Reflector"  published  a  short  time  alter  his  death: — 

"In   Warwick,   E.   I.,     January     15,    1S75,  Deacon   Moses 
Wightman,  in  the  GSth  year  of  his  age.     Brother  Wightman,  at 


SHAWOMET   BAPTIST    CHURCH.  341 


the  time  of  his  death,  had  heen  a  respected  and  heloved  mem- 
her  of  the  Baptist  Church,  of  Natiek,  for  about  thirty  years. 
The  Providence  Journal,  referring  to  him,  justly  says:  'uniting 
with  the  church  at  Natick  in  early  life,  he  became  one  of  its 
leading  members,  and  though  naturally  of  a  retiring  disposition, 
identified  himself  with  whatever  tended  to  promote  the  peace 
and  prosperity  of  the  community.  Few  men  in  the  quiet 
walks  of  life,  with  the  advantages  he  possessed,  can  hope  to 
accomplish  more  of  real  good  to  a  village,  than  resulted  from 
his  simple  unostentatious  life.  With  a  heart,  full  of  warm  ten- 
der emotions,  kind  and  sympathizing  to  those  in  distress,  the 
village  was  made  better  every  time  he  passed  through  it.  Dea. 
W.  was  a  peace  maker,  both  within  and  without  the  church; 
wise  in  counsel,  though  not  forward  in  giving  advice;  upright 
and  honest  from  principle;  cheerful  without  levity;  active, 
humble  and  consistent,  in  his  religious  life.'  At  his  funeral 
brief  addresses  were  made  by  his  pastor  Rev.  C.  L.  Frost,  of 
Natick,  Revs.  O.  P.  Fuller  and  J.  Bray  ton,  of  Centreville, 
with  prayer  by  Rev.  G-.  Robbins,  of  East  Greenwich.  He 
leaves  a  deeply  afflicted  widow  and  one  daughter,  members  of 
the  same  church.  May  the  household  of  faith,  so  long  and 
tenderly  united,  which  has  '  reason  to  mourn  and  reason  also 
to  rejoice,'  be  eventually  reunited  where  the  mourning  will  be 
lost  in  eternal  rejoicing." 

SHAWOMET   BAPTIST   CHURCH  * 

In  the  spring  of  1842,  Rev.  Jonathan  E.  Forbush 
commenced  to  labor  here  under  the  patronage  of  the 
R.  I.  Baptist  State  Convention.  Some  religious  interest 
was  awakened,  and  the  statement  of  facts  preliminary  to 
the  organization  of  the  present  church  says  there  were 
some  conversions  and  baptism.  Into  what  church  these 
converts  were  baptized  is  not  stated.  Doubtless  not  the 
"  old"  church  here,  which  is  represented  as  indeed  old 
and  ready  to  vanish  away.  Mr.  Forbush's  work  was  to 
establish  something  more  vigorous  and  vital  than  that 
seemed  to  be. 

The  first  record  of  a  meeting  looking  to  a  church  or- 
ganization is  without  date,  but  it  was  probably  in  Sep- 
tember or  October,    1842.     Five    brethren   and  eleven 


*  The  sketch  of  this  Church  is  from  the  pastor,  Rev.  J.  T.  Smith. 


342  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK. 

sisters  met  at  the  residence  of  John  W.  Greene.  This 
meeting,  besides  consultation  and  prayer,  appointed  a 
committee  of  three  to  wait  upon  the  Old  Baptist  Church 
and  confer  with  them  in  reference  to  the  proposed  move- 
ment, and  adjourned  to  November  2,  at  same  place. 

At  the  adjourned  meeting  the  committee  of  confer- 
ence with  the  "  Old"  Baptists  reported — what,  the  record 
does  not  show,,  but  it  was  unanimously  resolved  to  push 
the  church  project ;  November  16,  was  set  for  the  recog- 
nizing council,  and  the  churches  to  be  sent  to  were  spec- 
ified. A  committee  was  appointed  to  report  at  an  ad- 
journed meeting,  Articles  of  Faith.  At  that  meeting 
held  Nov.  9,  the  committee  reported  the  New  Hampshire 
Articles,  as  then  published,  which  were  adopted.  Two 
sisters  related  their  experience,  and  were  received  for 
baptism. 

Nov.  16,  1842,  the  Council  assembled,  as  called,  at  the 
Old  Warwick  Baptist  Meeting  House.  It  was  consti- 
tuted as  follows : — 

First  Providence. — Brethren,  Pardon  Miller,  Hugh  H.  Brown, 
Oliver  Johnson. 

Second  Providence. — Rev.  Edward  K.  Fuller,  brethren  John 
Clemmons,  John  T.  Lawton. 

Third  Providence. — Rev.  Thorndike  C.  Jameson,  brethren 
N.  Mason,  William  C.  Barker. 

Pawtuxet. — Rev. Bowen,  brethren  R.  N.  Nlles,  Reming- 
ton Smith. 

Lippitt  and  Phenix. — Rev.  J.  Brayton,  brethren  R.  W.  At- 
wood,  Nicholas  T.  Allen,  Wm.  B.  Spencer. 

East  Greenwich. — Kev.  J.  H.  Baker. 

The  Council,  which  had  for  Moderator,  Rev.  T.  C. 
Jameson,  and  Rev.  E.  K.  Fuller,  Clerk,  took  the  custom- 
ary action  in  such  cases,  and  adjourned  for  public  services 
of  recognition,  at  2  o'clock  same  day.  It  was  duly  held, 
Rev,  J.  II.  Baker  reading  scriptures,  Rev.  T.  C.  Jameson 
preaching,  Rev.  E.  K.  Fuller  offering  prayer  of  recog- 
nition. Rev.  J.  Brayton  giving  the  Hand  of  Fellowship, 
Rev.  —  Bowen  addressing  the  Church,  and  Rev.  J.  E. 
Forbush  offering  the  concluding  prayer. 


SHAWOMET   BAPTIST    CHURCH.  343 

The  Church  was  constituted  with  thirteen  members, 
whose  names  follow  : 

Rev.  J.  E.  Forbush,  (Pastor),  Eliza  H.  Forbush,  Benjamin 
Greene,  Frances  Greene,  Jobn  Holden,  Hester  B.  Holdcn, 
Wei  thy  Polter,  Sarah  Potter  Greene,  Sally  Greene,  Elizabeth 
Stafford,  Waite  Lippitt  Greene,  Sally  Holden  Low,  Sally  Low 
Holden. 

Four  of  the  above  list  survive,  and  are  still  members 
of  the  church,  viz. :  John  Holden,  Hester  B.  Holden, 
Sally  Greene,  and  Sally  H.  Low. 

At  the  first  meeting  of  the  recognized  church,  Benja- 
min Greene  was  chosen  Deacon,  and  John  Holden, 
Clerk. 

In  March,  1845,  Mr.  Forbush  closed  his  labors  as  pas- 
tor, removing  to  Westminster,  Muss.  During  these  two 
and  a  half  years,  the  church  was  increased  by  two  bap- 
tized and  three  added  by  letter.  Two  were  dismissed 
and  one  died,  leaving  two,  net  gain — 15  members.  In 
September,  ol  the  same  year,  the  church  united  with  the 
Warren  Association. 

Rev.  Alfred  Colburn  was  Mr.  Forbush's  successor  for 
three  years  from  October,  1845.  In  this  period,  some 
revival  interest  brought  eight  additions  to  the  church  by 
baptism  and  one  by  experience.  Seven  were  also  added 
by  letter.  There  being  only  one  diminution,  dismissed  ; 
the  net  result  was  a  doubling  of  the  membership,  80. 

In  April,  1848,  John  W.  Greene  was  elected  clerk, 
holding  and  honoring  the  office  until  April,  1873,  since 
which  time  the  pastor  has  served  as  clerk. 

After  a  year  and  a  half  of  pastoral  vacancy,  in  April, 
1850,  Rev.  George  A.  Willard,  commenced  the  longest 
pastorate  of  the  church's  hi  tory,  nine  years,  closing  in 
May,  1859.  It  was  not  only  long  (for  this  church,)  but 
measurably  prosperous.  Nearly  every  year  of  its  contin 
uance,  there  were  conversions  and  baptisms. 

In  1851,  the  parsonage  house  was  built  at  an  expense 
of  $J,400,  on  a  half  acre  lot,  the  gift  of  Warren  Lippitt, 
Esq.,  of  Providence.  At  the  same  time  the  church  was 
incorporated  under  the  name  of  the  v,Shawomet  Baptist 
Church,  of  Warwick." 


344  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

The  changes  in  membership  in  the  church  in  these  nine 
years  were  :  Additions  by  baptism,  28  ;  by  letter,  3 — 31. 
Diminutions,  14  dismissed,  and  7  died — 21.  Increase,  10, 
leaving  a  total  of  40. 

In  April,  1859,  Deacon  Benjamin  Greene,  removing 
from  the  place  and  the  church,  was  succeeded  in  his 
office  by  Brother  John  W.  Greene,  who  held  it  till  March, 
1871,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  the  present  Deacon, 
Elisha  Farnham,  who  is  also  Sunday  School  Superin- 
tendent. 

For  about  three  years,  commencing  March,  1860,  Rev. 
Henry  G.  Stewart  served  as  pastor.  In  this  time,  there 
were  added  3  by  baptism,  1  by  expeiience,  and  4  by 
letter — 8.  There  were  4  diminutions,  1  death,  2  dismis- 
sions, and  1  exclusion ;  leaving  a  membership  of  44. 

After  one  year  of  supplies,  Rev.  E.  Hayden  Watrous 
commenced  service  as  pastor  in  March,  1864.  His  brief 
term  of  two  years — he  resigned  in  February,  1866,  to  go 
to  Lonsdale — was  marked  by  the  most  fruitful  revival  in 
the  history  of  the  church.  The  baptisms  were  18  ;  and 
5  were  added  by  letter — 23.  The  diminutions  in  the 
same  time  weie  13 ;  5  by  death  and  8  dismissed,  leaving 
a  net  increase  of  10,  and  a  membership  of  54. 

From  March,  1866,  Rev.  Charles  H.  Ham,  of  Provi- 
dence, served  the  church  one  year,  as  stated  supply.  In 
this  year,  1  was  baptized,  4  dismissed,  and  1  died  ;  leav- 
ing a  membership  of  50. 

For  a  little  more  than  two  years,  until  November,  1868, 
the  church  depended  upon  temporary  supplies.  During 
this  period,  there  were  no  additions,  while  there  were  8 
diminutions  ;  3  by  death,  4  by  dismission,  and  1  by 
exclusion,  reducing  the  total  to  42. 

In  November,  1868,  the  church  invited  Rev.  J.  Torrey 
Smith,  of  Woodstock,  Ct.,  to  assume  the  pastoral  charge. 
Without  accepting  the  call,  he  served  them  as  stated 
supply  till  July,  1869,  when  he  accepted  and  removed 
hither. 

The  present' pastorate,  has  been  a  term,  largely,  of 
discouraging  up  hill  work,  relieved  occasionally  by  fea- 


SHAWOMET   BAPTIST    CHURCH.  345 

tures  of  success.  No  large  revival  has  been  enjoyed,  yet 
the  word  has  not  been  without  as  positive  and  marked 
fruit  as  is  ever  seen.  During  the  six  years  there  have 
been  two  seasons  of  increased  religious  interest,  resulting 
in  16  additions  by  baptism.  There  have  been  also  6 
additions  by  letter — 22.  The  diminutions  in  the  six 
years  have  been  15 — 12  dismissed,  and  3  deaths.  Net 
increase,  7  ;  which  makes  the  present  membership,  49. 
(This  is  two  less  than  our  last  report,  but  this  is  the 
present  number  by  the  list.) 

At  the  commencement  of  the  present  pastorate,  exter- 
nal conveniences  for  the  support  of  worship  were  very 
defective.  The  parsonage  had  been  built  twenty-four 
years,  and  had  never  received  much  repair.  During  Mr. 
Willard's  occupancy  of  it,  a  boy's  boarding  school  was 
kept  in  it,  and  after  Mr.  Stewart  left,  it  was  occupied,  not 
by  a  pastor,  but  by  temporary  tenants,  until  1869. 
Thorough  repairs  being  needed,  more  than  five  hundred 
dollars  have  been  raised,  and  expended  upon  it. 

For  the  first  thirty  years  of  the  church's  history  it  had 
no  place  of  worship  which  it  could,  in  any  sense,  call  its 
own.  The  "  Old  Warwick  Baptist  Meeting  House  " 
wls  built  in  1829  by  proprietors,  by  whom,  as  a  corpor- 
ation, under  that  name,  it  is  owned  and  held.  The 
charter  gave  a  privileged  use  to  the  Baptist  Church  of 
the  place,  which,  at  that  time,  was  the  Six  Principle 
Church,  in  its  waning  condition. 

When  this  church  was  organized  in  1842,  the  Six 
Principle  Church  being  quite  feeble,  and  hastening  to 
its  apparant  extinction,  a  considerable  proportion  of  the 
members  and  families  interested  in  the  new  organization 
were  proprietors  in  the  house.  Quietly  and  by  general 
consent  this  body  succeeded  to  the  use  of  the  house, 
which  they  continued  to  use  without  interruption,  as  if 
it  was  their  own.  But  by  1870  it  had  got  quite  out  of 
repair,  and  was  hardly  comfortable  or  decent  to  use. 
But  the  proprietors  could  not  be  brought  to  any  united 
action  to  repair  it.  The  proprietors  in  the  church  were 
unwilling  to  spend  their  money  upon  a  property  which 

30 


346  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK. 

the  church  had  no  corporate  right  or  interest  in.  A 
project  for  building  a  house  for  the  church,  on  a  lot 
given  them  for  the  purpose  by  Marshall  Woods,  Esq.,  of 
Providence,  failed  of  accomplishing  anything  for  want  of 
a  sufficient  and  united  interest  in  it.  Nothing,  then, 
remained  but  to  repair  and  use  the  existing  house  ;  and 
this  must  be  done,  or  the  church  must  abandon  her 
woik. 

To  remove  the  obstacle  which  stood  in  the  way  of  the 
previous  effort  of  repairing,  it  became  necessary  to  give 
the  church,  as  a  corporation,  the  essential  ownership  of 
the  house.  This  was  done  by  obtaining  from  individual 
owners  of  pews  (i.  e.,  proprietors,)  a  transfer  of  their 
ownership  to  the  church.  By  this  means  the  church 
became  a  large  and  the  controlling  proprietor  in  the 
house.  This  being  effected,  there  was  no  difficulty  in 
securing  a  vote  to  repair  the  house,  and  assess  the 
expense  as  a  tax  upon  the  pews.  It  was  done  to  the 
expense,  including  a  furnace  for  heating,  of  about 
$1,300.  Some  additional  expense  for  furnishing  was 
provided  through  the  church.  For  these  repairs  of 
meeting-house  and  parsonage  in  these  six  years  the 
church  has  expended  above  &2,000,  holding  its  parsonage 
property  and  fully  three-fourths  of  the  meeting-house 
property  as  its  own,  free  of  debt.  Four  thousand  dollars 
would  be  a  moderate  ettimate  of  the  value  of  this  church 
property.  Looking  at  the  numbers  and  the  resources  of 
the  church,  it  seems  like  so  much  created  out  of  nothing. 

A  summary  of  the  history  shows  the  whole  number  of  per- 
sons connected  with  this  church,  during  these  thirty-two  years, 
to  be  119.     Of  these  were — 

Constituent  members 13 

Added  by  baptism     .    76 

Received  by  letter  from  other  churches 2S 

Received  on  experience 2 — 119 

Of  these— 

Died  while  connected  with  the  church  .' 20 

Dismissed  to  other  churches 48 

Excluded 2 

Present  members 49 — 119 

This    summary    shows    that    this   church    has    been 


PHENIX   BAPTIST   CHUBCH.  347 

literally  a  recruiting  station.  The  great  bulk  of  its 
membership  have  been  baptized  on  the  field.  It  has 
dismissed  to  other  churches  nearly  double  the  number 
it  has  received  from  other  churches,  and  within  one  of 
the  number  it  retains  in  its  own  connection. 


PHENIX  BAPTIST   CHUBCH. 

In  the  autumn  of  1841,  Rev.  Jonathan  Brayton,  then 
under  appointment  as  a  missionary  of  the  R.  I.  Baptist 
State  Convention,  ''to  labor  at  Natick  and  vicinity," 
conferred  with  one  of  the  residents  of  Phenix  in  reference 
to  holding  religious  services  in  that  vicinity.  At  the 
October  meeting  of  the  Convention,  held  in  Wickford, 
the  subject  was  brought  up,  and  the  Board  appointed 
the  Rev.  Thomas  Wilkes,  then  pastor  of  the  Warwick 
and  Coventry  Church,  a  committee  "  to  look  over  the 
ground  and  see  how  much  money  could  be  raised  to  sup- 
port preaching."  Mr.  Wilkes  visited  the  villages  of 
Phenix  and  Lippitt,  and  obtained  subscriptions  to  the 
amount  of  $30,  and  meetings  were  immediately  com- 
menced in  the  school  house. 

At  the  opening  of  the  year  1842,  a  protracted  meeting 
was  commenced  in  the  school-house,  which  soon  became 
so  interesting  that  all  who  wished  to  attend  could  not 
be  accommodated.  They  then  applied  to  the  Meth- 
odist society,  who  were  then  occupying  the  "Tatem" 
meeting-house,  owned  by  Deacon  Josiah  Chapin,  of 
Providence,  for  permission  to  occupy  that  house,  which 
was  courteously  granted  for  two  weeks.  "  As  the  presence 
of  God  was  visibly  felt,  and  some  souls  were  converted 
almost  as  soon  as  the  meetings  commenced,  the  brethren 
and  sisters,  (twenty  five  in  number,)  members  of  regular 
Baptist  churches  residing  in  the  vicinity,  on  the  evening 
of  January  10,  agreed  to  organize  themselves  into  a 
church  of  Christ,  and  were  publicly  recognized  as  such, 
by   appropriate   religious  services,  on   the  20th   of  the 


348  HISTORY   OF    WARWICK. 

same  month.*  The  recognition  services  were  held  in  the 
Tatem  meeting-house  before  the  two  weeks  granted 
them  had  expired.  Rev.  J.  Dowling,  D.  D.,  preached 
the  sermon ;  Rev.  John  H.  Baker  offered  the  prayer  of 
recognition ;  Rev.  Thomas  Wilkes  gave  the  hand  of 
fellowship,  and  Rev.  J.  R.  Stone  gave  the  charge  to  the 
church.  The  church  assumed  the  name  of  "  the 
Lippitt  and  Phenix  Baptist  Church  of  Warwick,  R.  I." 
The  male  members  who  entered  into  the  organization 
were  the  following:  Jonathan  Brayton,  Thomas  S. 
Wight-man,  William  B.  Spencer,  Jeremiah  Franklin, 
John  B.  Tanner,  Benjamin  Gardiner,  Richard  Gorton, 
Stephen  Greene  and  Robert  Card  ;  the  female  members 
were  Weltha  Spencer,  Susan  C.  Tanner,  Abby  L.  Tan- 
ner, Amey  Franklin,  Susan  Albro,  Mary  W.  Johnson, 
Mary  A.  Snell,  Penelope  Thurston,  Mary  A.  Griffin, 
Martha  Shippee,  Susan  Greene,  Abby  A.  Gorton,  Eda 
Gorton,  Phebe  Frye,  Mary  Card,  and  Mary  Pearce. 
There  were  nineteen  other  accepted  candidates  for. 
admission,  making  a  total  of  forty-four.  On  January 
30th,  twenty-nine  persons  were  baptized,  and  the  ordi- 
nance of  baptism  was  administered  for  three  successive 
Sabbaths  afterwards.  From  January  30  to  March  6, 
seventy-seven  persons  were  baptized  and  united  with 
the  newly  formed  church. 

Soon  after  the  recognition  of  the  church,  the  time 
having  expired  during  which  they  were  allowed  the  use 
of  the  Tatem  meeting-house,  they  returned  to  the  school- 
house,  which  was  found  too  small  to  accommodate  those 
who  wished  to  attend.  Arrangements  were  soon  made 
with  a  view  of  building  a  meeting-house,  and  a  committee 
appointed  to  attend  to  the  matter.  The  lot  was  gene- 
rously given  by  the  Manufacturing  Company,  and  the 
committee  contracted  with  Dea.  Charles  Shaw,  of 
Providence,  to  build  a  house,  thirty-six  feet  by  forty- 
eight  feet,  for  $1800.  The  church  built  the  foundation 
walls  and  painted  the  house.     The  house  was  owned  by 

•  Minutes  R.  I.  Baptist  State  Convention,  April,  1842. 


PHENIX  BAPTIST   CHURCH.  349 

stockholders,  who  were  to  receive  interest  on  the  money- 
contributed.  The  vestry  was  not  finished  for  use  until 
several  years  after  the  upper  room  was  occupied.  After 
the  vestry  had  been  fitted  up  and  other  improvements 
made,  it  was  found  that  the  whole  expense  had  amounted 
to  about  $3000.  The  stock  subsequently  became  the 
property  of  the  church  by  gift  and  purchase,  and  thus 
remained  until  the  meeting-house  was  sold. 

Rev.  Jonathan  Bray  ton  was  the  first  pastor,  continuing 
as  such  seven  or  eight  years.  "Rev.  Frederick  Charlton 
served  the  church  about  nine  months,  followed  by  Rev. 
George  D.  Crocker,  for  about  the  same  length  of  time." 
Christopher  Rhodes  also  supplied  the  church  for  several 
months,  coming  from  Providence  on  Saturday,  and 
returning  the  following  Monday.  Bro.  Rhodes  was  then 
a  surveyor  of  lumber  in  Providence,  and  devoted  his 
Sabbaths  to  supplying  destitute  churches.  The  church 
were  so  well  pleased  with  Bro.  Rhodes,  that  they  obtained 
Iris  promise  that  if  he  should  decide  to  give  up  his 
secular  business  and  settle  as  pastor  over  any  church,  he 
would  come  to  Phenix,  a  promise  that  he  afterwards 
fulfilled. 

In  1851,  Rev.  Benjamin  F.  Hedden,  became  pastor  of 
the  church,  and  continued  thus  for  nearly  four  years, 
and  was  followed  by  Rev.  Christopher  Rhodes,  whose 
pastorate  continued  from  April,  1855,  for  about  six  years 
and  a  half. 

In  1852,  several  of  the  brethren  united  and  built  a 
house  for  the  pastor  to  live  in,  and  rented  it  to  the 
chuich,  which  arrangement  continued  until  June,  1870, 
when  the  parsonage  became  the  property  of  the  church. 

During  the  pastorate  of  Mr.  Rhodes,  the  congregation 
had  so  increased  that  it  was  deemed  advisable  to  either 
enlarge  their  house  of  worship,  or  to  build  a  new  one, 
and  on  March  5,  1859,  they  "  voted,  that  it  is  expedient 
to  enlarge  our  meeting-house,"  and  a  committee  com- 
posed of  Wm.  B.  Spencer,  S.  E.  Card,  and  S.  H.  Bray- 
ton,  were  appointed  to  attend  to  altering  and  enlarging 
the  house.     After  examining-the  house,  it  was  thought 

*30 


350  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

T > . 

best  to  sell  it  and  build  a  new  one.  "  March  19th,  1859, 
it  was  voted,  that  the  building  committee  appointed  on 
the5thinst,  be  authorized  and  empowered  to  dispose  of 
the  meeting  house  and  lot,  or  any  part  of  the  same,  if 
they  deem  it  for  the  interest  of  the  church  to  do  so,  and 
on  such  terms  as  they  think  best,  and  if  sold,  they  are 
hereby  authorized  to  procure  another  lot  and  erect  a 
meeting-house  thereon,  of  such  dimensions  as  will  meet 
the  wants  of  the  church  and  society,  the  plans  of  said 
house  being  first  approved  by  the  church."  The  committee 
accordingly  sold  the  meeting-house  and  lot  for  -11700, 
the  church  occupying  it  for  the  last  time,  October  2, 
1859.  At  a  meeting  of  the  church,  held  August  6, 
1859,  "  voted,  that  the  committee  appointed  to  sell  the 
meeting-house  and  build  a  new  one,  be  empowered  to 
build  such  a  house  of  worship,  as  in  their  judgment 
they  think  best."  The  lot  upon  which  the  church  now 
stands  was  given  by  William  B.  Spencer.  The  committee 
contracted  with  Post  &  Tuesdell,  of  Kockville,  Conn., 
who  failed  of  carrying  out  the  contract,  when  the  matter 
returned  to  the  committee,  and  after  various  delays  the 
house  was  finally  completed.  The  whole  amount 
expended  on  the  meeting-house  and  lot  was  $18,487.41. 
This  included  $325  for  the  clock,  ($250  of  which  was 
generously  given  by  Henry  Howard,  Esq.,)  and  a  bell, 
weighing  1,609  pounds  and  costing  $575.49.  The  vestry 
was  occupied  by  the  church,  January  29,  1860,  and  the 
upper  portion  of  the  house  in  September,  1869.  "  It  is  a 
capacious  and  beautiful  structure,  with  a  steeple  whose 
height  is  162  feet  from  the  ground.  The  edifice  is  not 
only  an  ornament  to  the  village,  but  will  compare  favor- 
ably with  any  village-meeting  house  in  the  State.  The 
church  may  well  congratulate  itself  on  the  value  of  its 
church  property,  owning  also  a  commodious  parsonage ; 
all  of  the  property  being  entirely  free  from  debt.'1 

At  the  January  session  of  the  General  Assembly, 
1850,  the  name  of  the  church  was  changed  to  "  The 
Phenix  Baptist  Church." 

In  October,  1861,  Rev.  Bohan  P.  Byram,  now  settled 


THE    "  ELDER   TATEM   CHURCH,"    PHENIX.  351 


in  Plymouth,  Mass.,  became  pastor,  and  remained  until 
October,  1867.  Rev.  T.  W.  Sheppard,  the  present 
pastor,  began  his  labors  in  April,  1868. 

The  following  persons  have  served  the  church  as  dea- 
cons: Thomas  S.  Wightman,  John  B.  Tanner,  Ray  W. 
Atwood,  J.  Bailey,  J.  S.  Kenyon,  A.  J.  Burleson,  W.  T. 
Pearce,  and  W.  W.  Remington,  the  last  four  being  now 
in  service. 

The  following  have  served  as  church  clerks : — Win. 
B.  Spencer,  Hiram  Arnold,  Win.  B.  Spencer,  a  second 
term,  and  Vernum  A.  Bailey,  the  present  clerk. 

In  1843,  Nicholas  T.  Allen  was  licensed  to  preach, 
and  in  October,  1869,  Henry  V.  Baker  was  also  licensed 
to  preach. 

The  present  number  of  members  is  220. 


THE   "  ELDER   TATEM   CHURCH,       PHENIX. 

The  exact  date  of  the  organization  of  this  church  I 
have  not  been  able  to  learn.  In  1827,  Elder  Henry 
Tatem  occupied  the  school-house,  and  until  the  erection 
of  his  meeting-house  in  1829.  This  church  edifice  wr.s 
the  first  one  built  in  the  vicinity.  The  lot  on  which  it 
stood,  the  same  one  now  occupied  by  the  Methodist 
church,  was  bought  of  Mr.  Henry  Snell,  for  $120.  An 
act  of  incorporation  was  granted  by  the  General 
Assembly  at  its  January  session,  1833,  to  Henry  Tatem, 
Nicholas  G.  Potter,  Benjamin  R.  Allen,  Caleb  Potter, 
Sheldon  Colvin,  Cyril  Babcock,  Ray  W.  Atwood,  Cyrus 
Manchester,  Jr.,  George  P.  Prosser,  Reuben  Wright  and 
William  Warner.  Elder  Tatem  preached  in  this  meeting- 
house until  difficulties  broke  out  which  divided  the 
church  in  1837,  when  Elder  Nicholas  Potter  succeeded 
him  for  a  few  months.  Elr^ler  Tatem  was  ordained  in 
1816.  The  society  became  so  feeble,  they  were  obliged 
to  sell  their  meeting-house  which  was  purchased  by 
Josiah  Chapin,  Esq.,  of  Providence,  in  behalf  of  the 
Congregationalists.      Rev.    Russell    Allen    became    the 


352  HISTORY   OF   WABWICK. 

preacher  under  the  new  regime.  Soon  the  Methodists 
hired  the  house,  and  in  1842  effected  its  purchase.  It 
stood  on  the  site  of  the  present  edifice  erected  by  that 
society,  until  it  was  purchased  by  Governor  Harris,  who 
removed  it  to  another  part  of  the  village,  and  altered  it 
into  tenements  where  it  now  stands.  A  published  state- 
ment of  the  church  now  before  me,  designates  it  as  the 
"  First  General  Baptist  Church  in  Warwick."  It  appears 
to  have  held  to  the  denominational  tenets  of  the  Free- 
Will  Baptists.  A  copy  of  the  "  Minutes  of  the  first 
meeting  of  the  Rhode  Island  Union  Conference,  held  in 
Cranston,  October  13  and  14,  1824,"  gives  the  names  of 
the  pastors  and  delegates  of  these  churches  as  comprising 
the  conference  at  that  time,  Elder  Henry  Tatem,  of  the 
Cranston  Church,  Elder  Ray  Potter,  of  the  Pawtucket 
Church,  and  Elder  Zalmon  Tobey,  of  the  "  Fourth  Bap- 
tist Church,  in  Providence."  In  their  circular  letter 
published  in  their  minutes,  they  say,  "  We  are  confident 
that  the  real  followers  of  the  Lamb  of  equal  piety  and 
usefulness  in  the  church  may  be  found  for  instance 
among  Calvinists  and  Arminians,  notwithstanding  their 
disagreement  in  opinion.  We  dare  not,  therefore,  call 
that  common  and  unclean  which  God  has  cleansed." 


FIRST   FREE-WILL   BAPTIST   CHURCH. 

This  church  was  originally  located  in  that  portion  of 
the  town  now  becoming  known  as  Greenwood,  near  the 
"  High  House,"  so  called.  Previous  to  the  building  of 
the  meeting-house,  meetings  were  held  in  a  school-house, 
across  the  railroad,  on  or  near  the  site  of  the  present 
new  dwelling  of  Mr.  Colling  wood.  Elder  Reuben  Allen 
appears  to  have  been  the  first  pastor,  and  John  Carder 
and  John  Gorton  deacons.  The  church  was  prosperous 
under  the  leadership  of  Elder  Allen,  and  many  were 
added  to  the  church.  The  church  built  their  meeting- 
house about  the  year  1833.  Elder  Allen  was  followed 
in  the  pastorate  by  Elder  James  Phillips,  who  preached 


FIRST    FREE-WILL   BAPTIST   CHURCH.  353 

for  several  years.  The  church  during  this  time  passed 
through  severe  trials  from  which  it  never  fully  recovered. 
Elder  Champlain  preached  for  a  while  in  the  meeting- 
house and  until  about  the  time  the  church  of  which  he 
was  pastor  built  a  house  for  themselves  about  a  mile  to 
the  southward.  Elder  Joseph  Whittemore  preached 
twice  a  month  for  a  while,  about  the  year  1842-3,  and 
after  that  preaching  services  were  held  only  occasionally 
until  the  house  was  removed  to  Pontiac  and  the  church 
re-organized. 

About  the  year  1850,  the  meeting  house  was  removed 
to  Pontiac  upon  land  given  by  David  Arnold.  The 
land  according  to  the  terms  of  the  deed,  was  to  revert 
to  the  original  owner  or  his  heirs,  assigns,  &c,  when  no 
longer  used  for  church  purposes.  In  March,  1851,  the 
church  was  re-organized  under  the  name  of  The  First 
Free-Will  Baptist  Church  of  Warwick.  The  following 
persons  composed  the  new  organization :  Joseph  B. 
Baker,  Edmund  L.  Budlong,  Moses  Budlong,  Wm. 
Tibbitts,  Burden  Baker,  John  Vickery,  Stephen  Luther, 
Freelove  Wood,  Hannah  Searles,  Susan  Bennett  and 
Susan  Baker.  Uriah  Eddy,  who  united  a  few  weeks 
later  was  appointed  a  deacon,  and  Edmund  L.  Budlong, 
clerk.  Elder  Reuben  Allen,  who  appears  to  have  been 
the  first  preacher  under  the  old  organization,  was  the  first 
pastor  under  the  new  order  of  things.  On  March  13, 1852, 
the  church  voted  to  change  their  name  to  the  "  Warwick 
Church."  In  1852,  Uriah  Eddy  became  the  church 
clerk.  On  April  19,  1856,  passed  a  "  vote  of  thanks" 
to  Elder  Reuben  Allen  for  his  services  during  the  past 
year,  and  appointed  Joseph  B.  Baker  a  committee  to 
supply  the  pulpit.  From  this  time  up  to  April,  1859, 
the  pulpit  was  supplied  by  different  preachers.  At  this 
latter  date,  it  was  voted  "  that  Elder  Reuben  Allen  be 
our  pastor  for  the  ensuing  year."  On  April  28,  1861, 
George  T.  Hill  was  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel,  and 
on  September  6  following,  he  was  ordained  as  pastor  of 
the  church,  by  Elders  George  T.  Day  and  Reuben  Allen. 
On  October  following,  Horace  Thompson  was  licensed 


354  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

to  preach  the  gospel.  On  April  27,  1862,  George 
Budlong  was  appointed  a  deacon.  On  July  following, 
Elder  Reuben  Allen  was  again  chcsen  pastor  for  the 
ensuing  year.  On  April  26,  1863,  Franklin  Potter  was 
licensed  "  to  improve  b»is  gift."  On  June  4,1861,  the 
church  voted  that  "  David  Culver  be  the  pastor  for  the 
coming  year,  and  that  an  effort  be  made  to  raise  $200 
for   his  support." 

From  March  30,  1866,  Abraham  Lockwood  was  the 
clerk,  and  Bro.  A.  Warner,  of  Providence,  became  the 
preacher.  R.  E.  Fisher  was  the  clerk  in  1869.  The 
last  pastor  was  Elder  James  Tobey,  who  preached  about 
two  years.  Elder  Tobey  continued  to  preach  until  April, 
1869,  when  failing  health  induced  him  to  resign,  and 
from  this  time  until  they  disbanded,  the  church  was 
pastorless. 

On  November  5,  1871,  the  church  met  in  covenant 
meeting,  and  expressed  its  deep  sorrow  at  the  recent 
death  of  Deacon  Uriah  Eddy. 

On  November  6, 1871,  "  a  council  of  ministers  were  present 
to  confer  with  the  church  in  regard  to  the  propriety  of  uniting 
with  the  Apponaug  Church.  A  quorum  not  being  present,  the 
meeting  was  adjourned  to  meet  at  the  church  Sunday  next,  at 
2  o'clock  P.  M.  November  12,  1871,  church  met  according  to 
appointment,  and  voted  to  adopt  the  following  resolutions: 

To  adopt  the  recommendations  of  the  council  held  at  the 
previous  meeting,  to  wit: — 

To  unite  with  the  Apponaug  Church  in  a  body,  so  many  as 
can  feel  it  a  duty  to  do  so. 

Voted,  That  a  list  of  the  non-resident  members  be  transferred 
to  the  non-resident  list  of  the  Apponaug  Church,  in  order  that 
none  by  this  act  be  left  without  church  connection. 

Voted,  That  H.  C.  Budlong  be  authorized  to  draw  up  a  paper 
for  the  members  of  this  church  to  sign  as  an  application  of 
membership  in  the  Apponaug  Church. 

Voted,  That  H.  C.  Budlong  present  to  the  Apponaug  Church 
the  records  of  this  church,  with  a  list  of  applications  to  that 
church;  also,  a  list  of  all  who  have  taken  letters,  and  a  list  of 
non-resident  members  of  our  church,  and  recommend  and  pray 
them  to  take  them  under  their  especial  watch-care,  and  influ- 
ence them,  as  soon  as  their  whereabouts  can  be  learned,  to 
unite  with  some  evangelical  church." 

In  accordance    with   the   above   recommendations,  a 


WARWICK   AND   EAST   GREENWICH   CHURCH.        355 

portion  of  the  church  united  with  the  Free  Baptist 
Church  at  Apponaug,  and  others  with  other  churches, 
and  the  body  ceased  to  be  a  distinct  church.  The  meet- 
ing-house, which  was  owned  by  stockholders,  was  sold 
to  the  colored  church,  on  the  Plains, — they  having  lost 
their  house  by  fire, — for  $800,  who  removed  it,  in  1873, 
to  the  site  of  their  former  house,  where  it  now  stands. 

WARWICK   AND   EAST    GREENWICH   FREE-WILL 
BAPTIST   CHURCH. 

The  meeting-house  of  this  church  is  situated  on  the 
Plains,  about  half  a  mile  north  of  the  village  of  Appo- 
naug.  From  the  records  of  the  church  and  other 
sources,  we  subjoin  the  following  account  of  its  origin 
and  history  :  Previous  to  the  building  of  their  meeting- 
house, the  church,  which  was  organized  December  23, 
1841,  worshipped  in  various  places,  but  chiefly  in  the 
meeting-house  a  mile  north,  near  the  "  High  House." 
Rev.  Geo.  Champlain  was  the  pastor,  and  continued  in 
this  relation  for  some  fifteen  years.  About  the  time  of 
the  "  Dorr  war,"  the  larger  portion  of  the  members  were 
on  the  side  of  the  "  law  and  order  ':  party,  and  the 
church  worshipping  in  the  meeting-house  to  the  north- 
ward were  largely  of  the  number  known  as  "  Liberty 
men."  As  a  consequence  of  the  disagreement  in  politics 
between  the  two  churches,  the  privilege  of  holding 
meetings  in  the  meeting-house  was  denied  Mr.  Champ- 
lain  and  his  church,  and  measures  were  taken  to  build 
for  themselves  a  house  of  worship.  Gov.  John  Brown 
Francis,  Judge  Dutee  Arnold  and  Geo.  T.  Spicer,  Esq., 
now  of  Providence,  but  then  of  Pontiac,  interested  them- 
selves in  their  behalf,  and  a  subscription  was  started  to 
raise  the  necessary  funds  for  the  erection  of  a  meeting- 
house. 

The  subscription  paper  was  drawn  up  by  Gov.  Francis, 
and  is  still  preserved.  The  following  are  extracts  from 
this  paper : 

"  This  house  is  to  be  consecrated  to  the  use  of  the  Free-Will 


356  HISTORY   OF    WARWICK. 

Baptist  Church  of  Warwick  and  East  Greenwich,  of  which 
George  Champlain  is  now  the  elder,  and  Joseph  Babcock, 
deacon;  subject,  however,  to  this  condition,  viz.: 

That  the  seats  shall  be  free  for  all  the  worshippers  of  that 
congregation,  and  that  no  pews  shall  be  erected  therein. 

It  is  understood,  likewise,  that  the  lot  whereon  the  building 
is  to  be  located  shall  be  conveyed  to  the  above  society,  but  not 
until  an  act  of  incorporation  is  first  obtained." 

Appended  to  the  paper  are  the  folio wnig  names  of  those 
who  subscribed  $20  or  upwards,  viz.:  Judge  Dutee  Ar- 
nold, in  behalf  of  himself  and  his  daughter  Marcy,  $50  ; 
Hon.  William  Spragne,  in  behalf  of  himself  and  his 
daughter,  Mrs.  Susan  Hoyt,  $75  ;  Gov.  Francis,  in  behalf 
of  himself  and  his  daughter  Anne,  $75  ;  John  Carter 
Brown,  of  Providence,  $50 ;  C.  &  M.  Rhodes,  $25 ; 
George  T.  Spicer,  $20. 

The  land  on  which  the  house  was  built  was  given  by 
Stephen  Budlong  to  the  church.  The  house  was  built 
in  1844,  at  a  cost  of  $1,275.  This  house  was  used  until 
August,  1872,  when  it  was  totally  consumed  by  fire. 
The  present  house,  which  is  the  same  one  that  originally 
stood  near  the  "  High  House,"  and  was  subsequently 
removed  to  Pontiac,  was  purchased  by  this  society  the 
same  year  their  house  was  burnt,  for  $800,  and  removed 
to  its  present  position. 

The  relation  that  those  who  have  preached  sustained 
to  the  church  is  not  very  clearly  defined  in  the  records, 
so  that  it  is  difficult  to  tell  by  them  whether  those  who 
preached  were  formally  recognized  as  pastors  or  only 
supplies.  The  church  has  not  always,  if  ever,  been  able 
to  support  a  pastor,  and  has,  consequently,  been  obliged 
to  secure  such  preachers  as  were  able  to  support  them- 
selves wholly  or  in  part.  Among  those  who  have 
preached  to  the  church  for  the  longest  periods,  were 
Elder   George    Champlain,*   Elder   E.    Bellows,  Elder 


*  Elder  Champlain  become  well-known  throughout  the  town  as 
quite  an  able  preacher.  He  was  a  man  of  more  than  usual  natural 
ability,  and  a  forcible  speaker,  and  many  anecdotes  are  told  respecting 
him  that  reveal  his  keenness  and  ready  wit.  It  is  said  that  one  time 
some  of  his  hearers  complained  to  him  that  he  was  too  personal  aud 


CENTRAL   FREE-WILL   BAPTIST    CHURCH.  357 

Peter  Noka,  Elder  Benjamin  Roberts,  Elder  Durfee, 
Elder  John  Dixon,  and  the  present  pastor,  Elder  Wm. 
Devereaux,  who  has  preached  to  them  for  several  years 
past. 

The  following  persons  have  served  the  church  as 
deacons,  viz.:  Joseph  P.  Babcock,  Job  Frye,  James  B. 
Waite,  Henry  E.  Sambo,  Geo.  Champlain,  Jr.,  Samuel 
S.  Bliss,  Jeremiah  G.  Dailey,  Thomas  H.  Brown,  Harri- 
son G.  O.  Lincoln,  and  others. 

The  following  persons  have  served  the  church  as 
clerks,  viz.:  James  B.  Waite,  Henry  E.  Sambo,  Thomas 
H.  Knowles,  Wm.  H.  Briggs,  Samuel  B.  Eddy,  John  P. 
Champlain,  John  O.  Lincoln,  Albert  G.  Lippitt  and 
John  P.  Gardner. 


CENTRAL    FREE-WILL  BAPTIST   CHURCH   OF   WARWICK. 

This  church  was  organized  by  Rev.  Benjamin  Phelon, 
who,  on  the  third  Sabbath  in  August,  1835,  baptized 
and  formed  into  a  church  the  following  individuals,  viz.: 
Alexander  Havens,  Wm.  Harrison,  William  D.  Brayton, 
Thomas  W.  Harrison,  Elizabeth  Wickes,  Catherine 
Westcott  and  Mary  E.  Wilbur.  Their  first  deacon  was 
Alex.  Havens,  and  their  first  clerk,  Wm.  D.  Brayton. 

Rev.  Benjamin  Phelon,  now  of  Providence,  was  their 
first  pastor,  and  preached  for  them  at  this  time  about 
two  years  and  a  half.  He  was  followed  by  Rev.  Thomas 
S.  Johnson,  who  was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the 
church  in  October,  1837,  and  remained  about  two  years. 


severe  in  his  preaching.  He  replied:  "  When  I  am  preaching  I  shoot 
right  straight  at  the  devil,  every  time,  and  if  any  of  yon  get  between 
me  and  the  devil,  yon  will  he  liable  to  get  hurt."  While  preaching 
he  would  sometimes  get  quite  animated,  and  his  gestures  on  such 
occasions  would  be  more  forcible  than  elegant.  He  occupied  the  old 
it  xin  Top  "  at  Quidnick  for  awhile,  after  it  was  given  up  by  the  church 
that  built  it,  and,  it  is  said,  he  would  sometimes,  while  preaching 
there,  jump  so  high  that  the  audience  in  front  of  the  pulpit  could  see 
his  knees.  To  do  this  he  must  have  gone  up  more  than  three  feet  into 
the  air.  Elder  Champlain  had  some  failings,  but  possessed  many 
excellent  qualities. 

31 


358  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 

Rev.  J.  S.  Mowiy  was  the  next  pastor,  and  commenced 
his  labors  November,  1840,  closing  them  in  May,  1842. 
He,  in  turn,  was  followed  by  Rev.  Martin  J.  Steere, 
who  remained  three  years. 

In  April,  1849.  the  church  invited  Rev.  Mr.  Phelon 
to  become  again  their  pastor,  which  invitation  he  accepted, 
and  he  continued  to  preach  until  September,  1869. 

After  this,  Rev.  J.  A.  Stetson  supplied  the  pulpit  for 
several  months,  and  until  the  Rev.  E.  P.  Harris  was 
called  to  the  pastorate.  Mr.  Harris  remained  about  six 
months. 

The  present  pastoT,  Rev.  George  W.  Wallace  com- 
menced his  labors  in  September,  1870.* 

The  number  of  members  at  the  present  time  is  eighty- 
seven. 

THE   NEW   JERUSALEM   CHURCH. 

The  following  interesting  communication,  giving  the 
origin  of  this  church,  is  from  Hon.  Simon  Henry 
Greene.  The  personal  allusions  of  the  venerable  gentle- 
man to  his  own  experience,  though  perhaps  not  designed 
for  publication,  will  not  detract  from  the  interest  with 
which  it  will  be  perused  : 

Riverpoint,  R.  I.,  April,  1875. 
Rev.  O.  P.  Fuller. 

Dear  Sir, — Mr.  Artemas  Stebbins  who  was  well 
known  in  Warwick  as  a  Methodist  Circuit  preacher, 
about  the  year  1812,  was  probabby  the  first  to  make 
known  the  New  Church  Theology  in  the  town.  My 
home  was  then  in  .the  locality  of  the  town  now  called 
Centreville,  with  my  mother,  Mrs.  Abigail  Greene,  a  de- 
voted, worthy  member  of  the  Methodist  Church.  My 
father  was  Job  Greene,  who  died  in  1808. 

In  the  autumn  of  1811,  I  was  placed  at  a  school  from 
home,  returning  in  1812.-     I  was  employed  in  business 


*  The  sketch  of  this  church  is  furnished   hy  its  pastor,  Rev.  G.  W. 
Wallace. 


NEW   JERUSALEM   CHURCH.  .     359 


in  Hartford,  Conn,  in  1813,  returning  home  again  in 
1814.  In  1815  I  engaged  in  business  in  Providence, 
where  I  married  in  1822,  and  resided  there  until  1838, 
when  my  business  required  a  removal  of  my  family  to 
Warwick,  my  native  town,  and  a  removal  was  made 
accordingly,  to  where  we  still  reside. 

You  will  thus  see  how  the  link  which  had  connected 
me  with  Centreville  was  severed,  and  how  the  most  inti- 
mate relations  with  that  locality,  as  to  me,  were  measur- 
ably suspended.  I  had  notwithstanding,  some  knowl- 
edge at  different  times  of  Mr.  Stebbins,  his  whereabouts 
and  his  occupation.  I  heard  of  him,  not  far  from  the 
year  1816,  as  travelling  and  vaccinating  for  the  kine 
pock,  then  having  the  title  of  Doctor,  and  that  he  had 
visited  Centreville  on  such  a  mission.  And  if  my  recol- 
lection is  right,  he  was  then  teaching  the  doctrines  of 
the  New  Church, — and  it  is  not  unlikely  he  may  have 
preached  them  publicly  at  Centreville.  Years  after- 
wards I  heard  of  him  as  settled  in  Swanzey,  Mass., 
where  I  believe  he  died.  I  do  not  know  that  he  ever 
became  a  minister  of  the  New  Church,  to  preach  regu- 
larly, or  indeed  at  all,  anywhere.  He  Avas  probably  the 
first  man  to  make  a  declaration  of  the  doctrines  of  the 
New  Church— called  by  Swedenborg  "The  Heavenly 
Doctrines  of  the  New  Jerusalem,"  in  the  town  of  War- 
wick. 

My  own  attention  was  attracted  to  acquire  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  doctrines,  while  living  in  Providence,  at 
about  thirty-five  years  of  age,  but  the  ideas  contained 
in  them  were  so  new  to  niy  mind,  that  I  made  slow  pro- 
gress in  learning  ;  my  former  theological  notions  block- 
ing the  way  for  the  entrance  of  the  new  truths.  I  had 
been  religiously  inclined  from  an  early  age,  and  had 
read  much  of  theological  works,  but  with  all  my  expe- 
rience and  observation,  I  could  not  settle  into  a  rational, 
satisfactory  belief  in  any  of  the  systems  of  theology 
which  had  fallen  under  my  notice,  until  the  writings  of 
the  profoundly  learned  and  eminent  scholar  and  christian, 
Emanuel  Swedenborg,  fell  in  my  way.     Apparently  by 


360      .  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK. 

accident,  but  really  by  the  ordering  of  the  Divine  Prov- 
idence, I  came  in  contact  with  a  few  individuals  in 
Providence  who  were  "  receivers  of  the  Heavenly  Doc- 
trines," and  who  held  regular  meetings  for  worship  and 
for  instruction,  at  Union  Hall,  near  Westminster  street, 
on  which  occasions  a  sermon  was  read  by  some  one  of 
the  members.  Occasionally  a  visit  was  made  us  by  a 
minister,  who  preached  and  administered  the  sacraments 
of  baptism  and  the  holy  supper.  We  became  members 
of  the  Bridge  water,  Mass.,  Society  of  the  New  Church, 
and  the  pastor,  Rev.  Samuel  Worcester,  rendered  to  us 
occasional  pastoral  care  and  services.  His  brother  like- 
wise, now  Dr.  Thomas  Worcester,  then  the  pastor  of  a 
New  Church  Society  in  Boston,  visited  us  and  preached 
in  Providence.  Samuel  has  been  dead  several  years. 
Thomas  is  now  living  in  Waltham,  Mass.,  retired  from 
active  life,  to  much  extent,  in  the  ministry,  on  account 
of  advanced  age  and  impaired  health.  Both  of  them 
were  sons  of  Rev.  Noah  Worcester,  one  of  the  earliest 
and  most  noted  Unitarian  Clergymen  in  the  United 
States.  The  sons,  however,  were  compelled  wholly  to 
repudiate  the  peculiar  theology  of  their  father 

I  engaged  with  Mr.  Edward  Pike,  in  the  firm  name 
of  Greene  &  Pike,  to  do  business  in  Warwick,  in  1828, 
which  copartnership  arrangement  continued  until  his 
death  in  1842.  I  had  conversations  with  him  and  his 
brother  David,  who  is  still  living,  on  the  subject  of  the 
New  Church  doctrines.  They  became  much  interested 
in  them,  and  procured  the  "  True  Christian  Religion," 
the  final  work  on  Theology  of  Swedenborg,  and  of  a 
great  number  of  volumes  previously  written  and  pub- 
lished by  him,  which  they  read  and  became  convinced  of 
the  truth  of  those  doctrines.  I  became  a  member  of  the 
Bridgewater  Society  of  the  New  Church  in  1836. 

In  consequence  of  the  interest  the  Messrs.  Pike  and  I 
felt  to  have  preaching  in  Warwick,  Rev.  Samuel  Wor- 
cester was  invited  to  preach  in  Warwick,  and  he  did  so 
at  the  "  Lippitt  &  Phenix  School  House,"  on  the  14th  of 
April,  1837,  to  an  audience  of  about  175  persons.     Many 


NEW   JERUSALEM   CHURCH.  361 


interested  listeners  to  New  Church  teachings  were  present. 
Mr.  Edward  Pike  and  his  brother  David  soon  afterwards 
visited  Rev.  Mr.  Worcester's  home,  and  were  baptized 
by  him  at  Bridgewater  on  the  7th  of  May,  1837.  In 
due  time  others  were  baptized  by  Mr.  Worcester  here  in 
Warwick,  and  a  little  band  were  associated  together  to 
hold  regular  meetings  on  the  Sabbath  day  for  worship 
then  held,  and  now  continue  to  be  holden,  in  a  house 
built  by  Greene  &  Pike,  to  be  used  for  the  double  pur- 
pose of  a  school-house  and  a  house  for  public  worship. 

In  1888,  I  removed  with  my  family  to  Warwick,  and 
it  was  arranged,  the  pastor  co-operating,  that  I  should 
be  appointed  and  authorized  to  act  as  a  leader  in  public 
worship,  in  which  capacity  I  have  officiated  to  the  present 
time, — to  wit :  to  the  year  1875, — a  term  of  nearly 
thirty-seven  years,  being  now  in  the  77th  year  of  my  age. 

It  is  obvious  to  a  New  Churchman,  that  the  New 
Jerusalem  which  John  saw  "  coming  down  from  God 
out  of  heaven,"  is  indeed  leavening  the  whole  world  with 
the  Divine  love  and  the  Divne  wisdom,  raising  it  by 
those  sublime  principles  to  higher  and  more  exalted 
spiritual,  heavenly  states.  Those  heaven-descended 
qualities  infused  into  the  miuds  of  men  enlighten  their 
paths,  and  say  unto  them  in  the  benignity  of  perfect 
love — "  this  is  the  way,  walk  ye  in  it."  But  alas!* men 
generally  do  not  believe  that  it  is  the  Lord  in  His  second 
coming,  "  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,"  who  is  now  standing 
at  the  door  of  their  hearts — their  affections — and  knock- 
ing for  them  to  open  the  door,  that  He  may  enter  in  with 
His  love  and  wisdom,  and  establish  His  glorious  king- 
dom there, — they  do  not  believe  that  all  who  have  died 
since  the  world  began  have  been  raised  from  death  unto 
life,  and  have  been  judged,  and  have  become  associated 
in  the  spiritual  world  with  those  in  similar  states  with 
themselves — whether  those  states  be  evil,  or  whether 
they  be  good.  "  Evil  is  of  hell,  and  good  is  of  heaven." 
"  The  life  of  man  is  his  love."  If  the  love  be  evil,  the 
life  is  hellish.  If  the  love  be  good,  the  life  is  heavenly. 
Yours  truly,  Simon  Henry  Greene. 

*31 


362  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


FRIENDS'   MEETING,    OLD    WARWICK.* 

The  first  "  Monthly  Meeting "  of  the  Society  of 
Friends  held  in  Warwick,  on  record,  was  at  the  house 
of  John  Briggs,  in  1699.  Meetings  were  held  subse- 
quently at  the  house  of  Jabez  Greene,  and  probably 
until  their  meeting-house  was  built.  The  Greenwich 
Monthly  Meeting  then  embraced  the  towns  of  Provi- 
dence, Greenwich,  Kingstown  and  Warwick.  The  fol- 
lowing is  from  the  records  of  the  "  Monthly  Meeting :" 

"  At  Greenwich  Monthly  Meeting  of  Friends,  held  4  month, 
4th,  1710,  it  was  proposed  to  build  a  meeting-house  al  Warwick, 
and  two  Friends  were  appointed  to  lay  the  proposition  before 
the  Quarterly  Meeting,  and  also  the  Yearly  Meeting." 

Three  months  later  the  Monthly  Meeting  decided  to 
build  the  meeting-house.  The  records  do  not  inform  us 
when  the  house  was  built,  but  it  appears  to  have  been 
built  before  the  land  upon  which  it  stood  was  purchased, 
probably  by  permission  of  the  owner,  and  with  the 
understanding  that  a  deed  of  it  would  be  given.  On 
the  "ninth' of  3d  month,  1720,  Benjamin  Barton  sold  to 
Samuel  Alcfrich,  Thomas  Arnold,  Jabez  Greene,  Joseph 
Edmonds  and  Thomas  Rodman,  for  X45,  current  money, 
one  and  a  half  acres  and  thirty -five  rods  "  of  land,  "  being 
that  piece  or  parcel  of  land  on  which  stands  a  certain 
meeting-house  in  which  ye  people  called  Quakers  usually 
meet  in  Warwick  aforesaid." 

The  Friends  were  never  numerous  in  the  town,  but 
held  meetings  in  the  house  at  Warwick  frequently  during 
the  last  century  ;  for  the  last  fitty'years  only  occasionally 
has  the  house  been  occupied.  The  old  meeting-house 
was  so  much  injured  by  the  September  gale  of  1815, 
that  it  was  taken  down  the  following  year,  and  a  portion 
of  its  timbers  were  used  in  the  erection  of  the  present 


*  For  a  portion  of  the  items  in  the  above  account,  I  am  indebted  to 
the  venerable  Perez  Peck,  of  Coventry. 


EPISCOPAL  CHURCH,   COWESETT.  363 

modest   structure.      The   old    house   was    considerably 
larger  than  the  present  one,  and  was  two  stories  high. 

Loyd  Greene,  an  approved  minister  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  and  a  resident  in  that  vicinity,  gave  the  Society 
the  sum  of  $500,  the  interest  of  which  was  to  be  ex- 
pended in  keeping  the  house  in  repair.  This  money  they 
deposited  in  a  savings  bank,  and  by  the  dishonesty  of 
the  cashier  they  lost  about  one-third  of  it  about  ten 
years  ago.  The  interest  has  since  been  allowed  to  accu- 
mulate to  the  amount  of  the  original  sum.  Loyd  Greene 
sold  his  farm  at  Old  Warwick,  and  removed  to  East 
Greenwich,  where  he  became  disheartened,  and  wandered 
back  one  day  to  his  old  home,  and  hung  himself  in  the 
barn  which  he  formerly  owned.  He  is  remembered  as  an 
upright,  conscientious  man.  The  old  meeting-house 
has  been  thoroughly  repaired  during  the  past  season, 
and  is  one  of  the  oldest  buildings  in  the  State  occupied 
by  the  Friends  for  their  religious  meetings.* 

EPISCOPAL   CHURCH,   COWESETT. 

The  items  respecting  the  church  in  which  Rev.  Dr. 
James  McSparran,  Dr.  Fayerweather,  and  others,  offi- 
ciated once  a  month,  are  gathered  chiefly  from  the  in- 
teresting work  of  Mr.  Updike. 

"On  the  2d  of  September,  1728,  a  lot  of  ground  situated  at 
equal  distances  from  the  present  village  of  Apponaug  and  East 
Greenwich,  and  between  the  post  road  and  the  present  Ston- 
ington  railroad,  was  conveyed  by  the  Eev.  George  Pigot  to  the 
Society  in  London  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign 
Parts,  for  erecting  a  church  according  to  the  establishment  of 
churches  by  law  in  New  England.  A  church  was  accordingly 
erected, — a  wooden  building,  two  stories  in  height,  with  a 
steeple  and  spire,  fronting  the  post  road.  After  remaining 
unoccupied  a  long  time,  in  a  ruined  state,  it  was  taken  down, 
about  the  year  17(31,  by  inhabitants  from  Old  Warwick,  for  the 


*  Their  first  house  at  East  Greenwich  was  built  in  the  year  1700,  and 
the  first  meeting  held  in  it  was  on  the  "  second  of  seventh  month,"  of 
that  year.  They  continued  to  worship  in  it  until  the  year  1806,  when 
they  erected  the  one  they  now  occupy. 


364  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK. 

, * 

purpose  of  erecting  a  church  there.  The  materials  having 
been  conveyed  to  the  shore,  were  scattered  and  lost  during  a 
storm  which  arose  soon  after.  A  number  of  graves,  probably 
of  individuals  connected  with  the  church,  are  still  to  be  seen 
upon  the  lot.  The  Rev.  George  Pigot  resided  in  Warwick  a 
number  of  years,  and  owued  a  track  of  land  there.  He  proba- 
bly obtained  the  means  of  erecting  the  church." 

When  the  congregation  of  Trinity  Church,  Newport, 
built  their  new  church  in  1726,  they  gave  their  old 
building  to  the  people  of  this  denomination  living  in 
this  town,  and,  according  to  tradition,  it  was  floated 
from  Newport  to  this  place.  From  the  abstracts  of  the 
Missionary  Society,  under  whose  patronage  the  Episcopal 
clergymen  in  this  State  then  acted,  we  learn  that  Dr. 
McSparran  officiated  monthly  in  Warwick,  from  1741  to 
1757,  and  Mr.  John  Graves  from  1762  to  1783,  the 
former  receiving  for  his  services  the  sum  of  <£50  ;  the 
latter,  <£15. 

The  house  stood  on  the  corner  of  the  street  that  leads 
down  to  the  "  Folly  Landing,'*  on  the  site  of  the  house 
erected  a  few  }^ears  ago  bjr  Edwin  Bowen.  The  grave- 
yard was  just  south  of  Mr.  Bowen's  house.  There  were 
inscriptions  on  but  two*  of  the  stones,  those  of  Capt. 
John  Drake  and  his  wife.  The  Captain,  as  appears  from 
the  inscriptions  on  the  stone  erected  at  his  grave,  died 
January  29,  1733.  His  wife  died  July  23,  1738.  The 
remains,  with  the  grave  stones,  were  removed  to  the  old 
Caleb  Ladd  burial  lot,  about  an  eighth  of  a  mile  to  the 
northward,  many  years  ago,  by  Mr.  Jonathan  N.  Peirce, 
who  owned  the  lot  at  the  time. 

This  lot  subsequently  came  into  possession  of  David 
Greene,  who  sold  it  to  Rufus  Spencer,  who  bequeathed 
it  to  his  daughter,  Mary  Speivcer.  Mary  Spencer,  by 
will,  gave  it  to  the  Society  of  Friends  at  East  Green- 
wich. On  February  1,  1808,  as  per  deed  of  that  date, 
Nicholas  Congdon,  Darius  P.  Lawton,  Perez  Peck,  Beriak 


•The  origin  of  this  term  is  as  follows:  Josiah  Baker  put  up  a 
house  near  the  shore  and  kept  a  sort  of  tavern,  which  became  known 
as  "  Baker's  Folly."  The  term  "  Folly"  became  applied  to  the  wharf 
also,  and  for  awhile  the  railway  station  near  it  was  so  called. 


EPISCOPAL   CHURCH,    COWESETT.  365 


Brown,  and  others,  in  behalf  of  the  Society  of  Friends, 
sold  this  lot  and  land  adjoining,  amounting  to  fifty  acres, 
"being  the  same  as  conveyed  to  them  by  Mary  Spencer, 
late  of  Greenwich,  daughter  of  Rufus  Spencer,"  to 
Jonathan  N.  Peirce  for  the  sum  of  82000.  A  portion  of 
this  tract  was  sold  a  few  years  ago  to  Amasa  Sprague 
for  $12,000.  A  portion  on  which  the  old  meeting-house 
stood,  Mr.  Peirce  sold  to  Mr.  Bowen,  as  above  stated. 
Mr.  Peirce,  at  the  ripe  age  of  eighty-three,  resides  upon 
a  portion  of  his  purchase  made  in  1808,  having  removed 
his  house  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  road  when  he 
sold  the  land  to  Amasa  Sprague. 

The  following  are  extracts  from  the  church  records, 
with  biographical  comments  by  Mr.  Updike  : 

"  April  11, 1736.  Baptized  at  Cowesett,  (Warwick  Church), 
by  Mr.  McSparran,  two  children,  viz.:  Rebecca  Tigot,  daughter 
of  Edward  Pigot,  and  Charles  Dickenson,  son  of  Capt.  John 
Dickenson." 

"  Edward  Pigot  was  the  brother  of  the  Rev.  George  Pigot, 
and  was  a  physician, — came  to  Warwick  soon  after  his  brother, 
but  remained  but  a  few  years  after  his  brother  removed  to 
Salem." 

"  Sept.  7th,  1739.  Dr.  McS.  preached  at  the  church  in  War- 
wick, and  admitted  Mr.  Levalley  to  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
supper." 

"  The  Mr.  Levalley  here  mentioned  was  probably  Peter 
Levalley,  who  died  in  Warwick  in  1756,  and  was  the  ancestor 
of  the  Levalleys  in  Warwick  and  Coventry." 

"  Dec.  14,  1745.  Dr.  McS.  preached  Moses  Lippil's  funeral 
sermon,  and  buried  him  in  his  own  ground  in  Warwick.  He 
died  the  12th,  about  11  o'clock  in  the  forenoon." 

"  June  8,  174(5.  Dr.  McSparran  baptized  by  immersion  a 
young  woman  named  Patience  Stafford,  daughter  of  Samuel 
Stafford,  of  Warwick,  and  then  from  Mr.  Francis'  rode  to  the 
church,  read  prayers  and  preached"  there." 

"  April  21,  1750.  Baptized  by  immersion,  in  Warwick, 
Elizabeth  Greene,  wife  of  Richard  Greene,  and  by  affusion, 
Welthan  Lippit,  wife  of  Jeremiah  Lippit,  a  sister  of  said 
Richard." 

"  Saturday,  June  12, 1756.  Dr.  McSparran  administered  bap- 
tism by'lotal  immersion  to  two  young  women  at  Warwick,  viz.: 
Elizabeth  Greene,  jun.  daughter  of  Richard  Greene  and  Eliza- 
beth, his  wife,  and  to  Sarah  Hammett,  daughter  of  an  Ana- 
baptist teacher,  some  time  ago  dead." 


366  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK. 

"  July  23,  1756.  As  I  came  home  from  Providence,  I  took 
Warwick'in  my  wa}r,  and  baptized  by  immersion  one  adult, 
named  Phebe  Low,  daughter  of  Philip  Greene,  Esq.,  of  "War- 
wick, and  wife  of  one  Captain  Low." 

"  Philip  Greene  was  the  grandson  of  Deputy  Gov.  Greene, 
and  the  father  of  Col.  Christopher  Greene,  of  the  revolution, 
and  married  Elizabeth  Wickes,  sister  of  Thomas  Wickes." 

About  the  only  relics  connected  with  the  old  church 
known  to  exist  at  present,  are  a  portion  of  its  records, 
and  a  Bible  and  prayer  book,  given  to  the  church  by  the 
"  Society  in  London  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel 
in  Foreign  Parts."  These  latter  fell  to  the  possession  of 
a  Mrs.  Lippitt,  who  lately  died  in  Providence.  The 
books  are  probably  now  in  possession  of  the  nieces  of 
Mrs.  Lippitt. 

st.  Philip's  church,  ceompton. 

At  a  meeting  of  several  persons,  desirous  of  forming 
a  Christian  congregation  in  communion  with  the  Pro- 
testant Episcopal  Church,  held  in  Crompton  Mills,  War- 
wick, on  the  27th  of  May,  1845,  the  Rev.  James  H. 
Eames  was  appointed  chairman,  and  Mr.  David  Updike 
Hagan  secretary.  After  due  deliberation  it  was  decided 
to  form  a  religious  society  to  be  known  "  by  the  name 
and  style  of  St.  Philip's  Church."  The  following  per- 
sons were  appointed  wardens  and  vestrymen  :  Frederick 
Pfawner,  senior  warden  ;  David  Updike  Hagan,  junior 
warden ;  Win.  C.  Gregory,  James  Crawford,  James  H. 
Clapp,  Thomas  Tiffany,  vestrymen ;  David  U.  Hagan, 
vestry  clerk,  and  James  H.  Clapp,  treasurer. 

The  vestry  were  instructed  to  procure  "  a  lot  or  lotts 
for  the  use  of  this  congregation  as  soon  as  the  sum 
necessary  to  effect  it  shall  be  subscribed."  The  present 
lot  on  which  the  meeting-house  is  situated  was  purchased 
and  the  house  built  during  the  year.  It  was  consecrated 
b}r  Pit.  Rev.  J.  P.  K.  Henshaw,  Bishop  of  the  Diocese 
of  Rhode  Island,  January  1,  1846.  The  house  was 
never  completed  according  to  the  design,  which  contem- 
plated a  tower  and  vestibule  on  one  of  its   corners,  with 


st.  Philip's  church,  crompton.  367 


other   ornamentation.      The   cost   of  the    house   in   its 
present  form  was  $1200. 

Previous  to  the  building  of  the  church,  religious  ser- 
vices  were  held  in  the  "  Store  Chamber  "  for  about  a 
year,  Rev.  J.  Mulchahey,  now  assistant  rector  of  Trinity 
Church,  New  York,  and  Rev.  Daniel  Henshaw,  son  of 
the  Bishop,  and  now  rector  of  All  Saints  Memorial 
Church,  Providence,  officiating  on  alternate  Sabbaths. 
The  first  baptism  recorded,  on  the  church  records  is  that 
of  a  child  of  Thomas  Hampson,  December  19,  1843. 

The  following  is  the  list  of  the  rectors :  Rev.  J. 
Mulchahey ;  C.  E.  Bennett,  since  deceased ;  G.  W. 
Chevers,  deceased  ;  E.  W.  Maxey,  now  in  New  York 
State ;  D.  Potter,  now  of  Cambridge,  Mass.;  R.  H. 
Tuttle,  now  of  Connecticut ;  Silas  M.  Rogers,  now  settled 
in  South  Lee,  Mass.;  Robert  Paul,  in  New  York  State  ; 
James  S.  Ellis,  now  in  Wilkinsonville,  Mass.,  and.  Thonias 
H.  Cocroft,  the  present  rector. 

The  Rectory  was  built  by  Mr.  Ca.dj  Dyer  for  his 
private  residence,  and  subsequently  sold  to  the  Diocesan 
Convention  that  holds  the  church  property. 

The  rectors  have  been  accustomed  to  hold  religious 
services  also  in  some  of  the  other  villages,  where  missions 
have  been  established,  as  at  Fiskeville,  Scituate  and 
Phenix.  At  the  latter  place,  Benjamin  C.  Harris  built 
a  small  Gothic  building,  known  as  "  Little  Rock  Chapel," 
which  was  used  awhile  for  Episcopal  services.*  Iu  Jan- 
uary, 1861,  when  Rev.  Mr.  Rogers  became  the  rector,  he 
found  a  debt  of  $1300  on  the  Rectory,  which  he  suc- 
ceeded in  reducing  to  $440.  Mr.  Rogers  closed  his  term 
of  service  in  August,  1867.  During  the  time,  he  "  bap- 
tized 111  infants,  children  and  adults ;"  45  persons  were 
confirmed  ;  69  persons  were  buried,  and  27  couples  mar- 
ried.    In  1873,    the   church  was  found  to    be  greatly  in 


*  This  building  was  afterwards  purchased  by  the  Catholics,  through 
the  agency  of  Rev.  Mr.  Gibson,  ppstor  of  St.  Mary's,  Crompton,  for 
$400.  The  lot  was  given  by  Mr.  Harris.  It  was  used  for  religious 
services  until  about  the  time" their  present  church  was  obtained,  and 
then  sold. 


368  HISTORY   OF   WARWICK. 


need  of  repairs,  and  in  July  and  August  of  that  year,  it 
was  repainted  on  the  inside,  the  walls  were  frescoed,  and 
a  new  carpet  purchased,  the  cost  of  the  repairs  amount- 
ing to  about  $ 400,  part  of  which  was  contributed  at 
home  and  the  remainder  in  Providence.  After  the  resig- 
nation of  Mr.  Paul,  in  1870,  the  rectorship  remained 
vacant  until  Easter  of  1873,  when  the  Rev.  James  S. 
Ellis,  of  Delaware,  was  appointed  rector  and  missionary, 
who  continued  in  office  until  July  1,  1874,  when  the 
house  was  closed  for  some  months.  Rev.  Mr.  Cocroft 
commenced   his  labors  in  the  spring  of  the  present  year. 

ALL   SAINTS   PARISH,   PONTIAC.* 

This  parish  was  organized  April  9,  1869,  when  the 
following  officers  were  elected  :  Senior  Warden,  Stephen 
N."  Bourne  ;  Junior  Warden,  John  P.  Olney  ;  Treasurer, 
John  F.  Knowles;  Clerk,  John  P.  Olney;  Vestrymen, 
Samuel  Black,  Samuel  Preston,  Henry  Owen,  John 
Gildard,  Edwin  R.  Knight,  William  Wooley,  Isaiah 
Wilde,  Thomas  Evans,  Charles  S.  Robinson,  William  A. 
Corey,  John  F.  Knowles. 

The  services  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  were 
held  in  All  Saints  Chapel  for  the  first  time  on  Sunday, 
April  1,  the  Rev.  L.  Sears,  of  St.  Bartholomew's  Church, 
Cranston,  reading  as  far  as  the  creed,  and  the  Rev. 
Robert  Paul],  of  St.  Philips  Church,  Crompton,  the 
remainder  of  the  service,  the  sermon  being  preached  by 
the   Rev.  D.  O.  Kellogg,  of  Grace  Church,  Providence. 

The  first  rector,  the  Rev.  E.  H.  Porter,  commenced  his 
labors  in  the  parish  July  4.  There  were  then  found  to 
be  but  five  regular  communicants  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church  connected  with  the  parish,  though  at 
the  first  administration  of  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
Supper,  there  were  fifteen  participants,  most  of  whom 
were  members  of  other  evangelical  churches. 


*  The  account  of  this  church  is  furnished  by  John  P.  Olney,  clerk. 


METHODIST   EPISCOPAL   CHURCHES.  369 

After  a  year  of  remarkable  growth  and  prosperity,  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Porter  resigned  the  rectorship  of  the  parish  in 
July,  1870,  which  resignation  took  effect  October  1. 

The  Rev.  H.  K.  Browse,  formerly  of  Pennsylvania,  was 
the  next  rector,  remaining  in  the  parish  until  September 
4,  1872,  when  his  ill-health  compelled  him  to  give  up  his 
pastoral  work  and  send  in  his  resignation. 

Rev.  Wm.  H.  Williams  took  charge  of  the  parish  in 
December,  1872,  and  remained  till  April  1,  1875. 

The  number  of  regular  communicants  actually  resident 
in  the  parish  April  1,  1875,  is  36.  The  Sunday  School 
numbers  102.  The  amount  of  funds  raised  for  the  sup- 
port of  public  worship,  and  other  church  and  Sunday 
School  purposes,  during  the  year  ending  April  1,  1875, 
was  81,488  14. 

The  Messrs.  B.  B.  &  R.  Knight,  of  Providence,  ten- 
dered to  the  parish  in  1869,  for  church  purposes,  a  room 
neatly  fitted  up  with  sittings  and,chancel  furniture,  and 
also  a  dwelling  for  its  rector,  both  free  of  rental,  and 
also  have  always  been  liberal  subscribers  to  the  fund  for 
the  minister's  salary. 

METHODIST   EPISCOPAL   CHURCHES. 

There  are  two  flourishing  churches  of  the  Methodist 
denomination  in  the  town,  both  having  their  origin  in 
the  early  part  of  the  present  century,  but  the  writer  has 
not  been  successful  in  obtaining  official  accounts  of  either. 
One  of  them,  which  is  probably  the  older,  is  located  in 
the  village  of  Centreville,  and  the  other  at  Phenix. 
They  were  supplied  for  many  years,  or  as  late  as  the 
year  1825,  and  perhaps  later,  by  circuit  preachers  only, 
and  the  records  of  that  period  are  not  in  possession  of 
these  churches.  The  "  Warwick  Circuit  "  included  not 
only  these  villages,  but  also  those  of  East  Greenwich, 
Wickford,  Plaintield,  Conn.,  and  other  places,  and  the 
preachers  were  accustomed  to  pass  from  one  to  the  other 
in  rotation,  on  horseback,  preaching  in  school-houses  and 
private  dwellings  as  they  had   opportunity.     In  1830-1, 

28 


370  HISTORY  OF   WARWICK. 

the  church  at  Centreville  built  their  meeting-house,  and 
ten  years  later  the  church  at  Phenix  were  also  in  posses- 
sion of  a  house  of  worship.  But  the  records  of  both, 
as  I  am  informed,  for  many  years  subsequent  to  these 
dates,  are  not  now  in  their  possession,  nor  do  they  know 
what  has  become  of  them.  Many  interesting  items  con- 
nected with  their  origin  and  progress  would  have  been 
gathered  from  the  older  members  and  presented  in  this 
connection,  but  for  the  expectation  cherished  to  the  latest 
moment,  that  they  would  be  furnished  in  connection 
with  such  information  as  could  be  obtained  from  existing 
records  by  some  one  connected  with  the  churches  who  is 
more  thoroughly  conversant  with  their  history. 

SECOND   ADVENT   CHURCHES. 

There  are  two  churches  of  this  order  in  the  town,  the 
older  one  located  in  the  village  of  Arctic,  and  the  other 
at  Natick.  The  church  at  Arctic  held  its  meetings  at 
first  in  Odd  Fellows'  Hall,  in  the  year  1S58.  The  meet- 
ings were  conducted  by  Elder  George  Champlain,  a 
colored  preacher,  who  was  for  about  fifteen  years  the 
pastor  of  the  Warwick  and  East  Greenwich  Free- Will 
Baptist  Church  on  the  Plains.  He  was  assisted  by  Elder 
E.  Bellows.  The  meetings  at  the  hall  resulted  in  the 
conversion  of  quite  a  number  of  persons,  fourteen  of 
whom  were  baptized  by  Elder  Champlain  on  the  26th  of 
February,  1858,  and  sixteen  on  March  14  following.  On 
the  evening  of  April  6,  a  church  was  organized  at  the 
house  of  Josiah  Taylor,  consisting  of  twelve  persons. 
After  the  organization,  Josiah  Taylor  and  William  Smith 
were  chosen  deacons,  and  John  P.  Babcock  clerk  and 
treasurer.     Elder  Champlain  was  chosen  pastor. 

It  was  arranged  to  have  public  religious  services  every 
third  Sabbath  at  Odd  Fellows'  Hall.  The  business  and 
covenant  meetings  were  usually  held  at  the  house  of 
Deacon  Taylor.  On  the  evening  of  August  14,  1858, 
Elder  Champlain's  resignation  of  the  pastorate  was 
accepted,  and  Elder  E.  Bellows  was  chosen  his  successor. 


CATHOLIC   CHURCHES.  371 


On  October  15, 1858,  Alanson  Wright  was  chosen  deacon 
in  place  of  Deacon  Smith,  who  had  resigned  to  go  to 
another  part  of  the  countr}'.  On  November  6,  1858,  A. 
C.  Greene  was  chosen  clerk,  in  place  of  John  P. 
Babcock,  resigned. 

At  a  meeting  held  February  26,  1860,  the  subject  of 
building  a  house  of  worship  was  considered.  It  was 
ascertained  that  about  $600  had  been  subscribed  for  this 
object,  and  by  vote  of  the  church  it  was  decided  to  pur- 
chase of  Mr.  Alexander  Allen,  for  the  sum  of  $100,  a 
piece  of  land  65  feet  front  by  120  feet  deep,  as  a  site  for 
the  building  ;  that  the  house  should  be  31  feet  by  46 
feet,  14  feet  posts.  C.  Spencer,  Isaac  Andrews  and 
Alanson  Wright  were  appointed  a  building  committee, 
with  instructions  to  erect  the  house  immediately.  The 
land  was  accordingly  purchased  -  of  Mr.  Allen  and  the 
house  built.  The  first  meeting — one  for  business — was 
held  in  it  on  the  evening  of  May  12,  1860.  At  a  meet- 
ing held  October  19,  1862,  Rice  Knight,  Elisha  B.  Card 
and  Oliver  Crandall  were  chosen  deacons.  The  last 
meeting,  the  proceedings  of  which  were  recorded  upon 
the  church  book,  was  held  December  19,  1863,  at  which 
time  it  was  voted  to  give  up  the  forenoon  services  and 
substitute  the  Sabbath  School.  Elder  Augustus  Durfee 
has  been  the  pastor  for  some  years  past,  preaching  one 
Sabbath  per  month.  The  church  has  not  been  able  to 
support  a  pastor  much  of  the  time,  and  it  has  been  fre- 
quently without  a  regular  pastor,  depending  upon  such 
supplies  as  the}'  were  able  to  procure. 

The  church  at  Natick  was  organized  May  24,  1874, 
with  twenty  members.  The  present  number  is  twenty- 
three.  Spencer  H.  Shippee  and  Silas  Mitchell  were 
chosen  deacons.  They  hold  their  meetings  in  Smith's 
Hall.     Elder  Elisha  B.  Card  is  the  pastor  and  clerk. 

CATHOLIC    CHURCHES. 

The  following  communication  respecting  the  churches 
of  this  order  in  Crompton  and  Phenix  is  from  Rev.  Mr. 


372  HISTOBY  OF  WARWICK. 

Gibson,  the  esteemed  pastor  of  the  Catholic  Church  in 
the  former  village : 

Crompton,  Oct.  14, 1875. 
Reverend  Sir — 

In  response  to  your  expressed  desire  for  some  infor- 
mation respecting  the  progress  of  Catholicity  in  Cromp- 
ton, or  in  my  parish,  I  have  collected  a  few  facts  and 
items  which  I  submit  to  you,  hoping  they  may  be  of 
service  in  the  correct  compilation  of  the  work  you  are 
preparing  for  publication. 

I  cannot  better  commence  to  narrate  the  few  facts  and 
items  I  have  collected  in  reference  to  the  history  of  the 
Catholic  Church  in  Crompton,  than  by  referring  to  a 
work  entitled  "  Sketches  of  the  Establishment  of  the 
Church  in  New  England,"  published  in  1872  by  Rev. 
James  Fitton,  the  first  pastor  of  the  church  in  Crompton, 
and  by  whom  the  first  church  was  commenced  on  Sep- 
tember 23,  1844.  It  relates  in  condensed  form  nearly 
all  the  important  matter  concerning  its  establishment, 
and  I  will  quote  entire  the  "  Sketch"  under  the  heading 
of  the  Church  of  our  Lady  of  Mount  Carmel,  Crompton  : 

"  Apart  from  Pawtucket,  the  largest  number  of  the  faithful 
in  any  town  contiguous  to  the  city,  and  who  were  considered 
as  belonging  to  the  charge  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul,  Providence, 
were  at  Crompton.  This  place  having  been  attended  monthly, 
and  the  hard-working  and  industrious  operatives  in  the  factor}'-, 
among  whom  were  those  having  families  of  little  ones,  being 
anxious  to  have  a  place  where  they  might  assemble  on  Sundays, 
and  willing  to  contribute  according  to  their  means,  an  acre  of 
land  was  secured  September  23,  1844.  A  small  church,  a 
frame  building,  was  immediately* erected,  and  as  the  location 
selected  was  on  the  hill  side  of  the  village,  overlooking  the 
country  for  miles  distant,  it  was  styled  the  '  Church  of  our 
Lady  of  Mount  Carmel.' 

The  congregation  of  Crompton  and  its  neighborhood  was 
confided  to  the  special  care  of  Rev.  James  Gibson,  who  attended 
occasionally,  as  his  duties  at  other  stations  permitted,  till 
August,  1851,  when  assuming  its  sole  charge  he  added  seven 
and  three-cmarters  acres  to  the  original  purchase,  thus  making 
eight  acres  and  three-quarters  of  land,  all  euclosed  within  a 
substantial  stone  wall.  Besides  which,  for  the  better  accom- 
modation of  the  congregation,  he  has  added  twenty  by  tifty- 
eight  to  the  church,  making  it  one  hundred  and  eight  by  fifty 


CATHOLIC   CHURCHES.  373 

feet,  independent  of  Sanctuary  and  Sacristy,  twenty  by  twenty- 
one,  and  its  tower  twelve  by  twelve,  square,  and  forty-five  feet 
high,  with  a  sweet-toned  bell  of  over  1400  pounds  weight.  He 
has  also  built  a  pastoral  residence  of  thirty  by  twenty-eight 
feet,  tastefully  and  conveniently  arranged,  and  a  school-house, 
eighteen  by  forty  feet,  wherein  to  gather  the  little  ones  of  his 
spiritual  charge.  , 

He  has  also  lately  secured,  on  what  is  known  as  Birch  Hill, 
a  very  fine  building,  over  thirty-one  by  forty-five  feet,  erected 
originally  for  a  select  high  school,  which  he  has  converted  into 
a  neat  little  church,  with  its  porch  of  eight  by  ten  and  sacristy 
twelve  by  fifteen  feet." 

The  above  is  a  very  clear  and  correct  statement,  and 
there  is  little  to  be  added  up  to  the  time  of  the  publica- 
tion of  the  "  Sketches."  I  would,  however,  remark  that 
the  immediate  successor  of  Rev.  James  Fitton  was  Rev. 
Edward  Putnam,  aud  one  or  two  others,  who  occasion- 
ally attended  the  Crompton  church,  until  the  appoint- 
ment of  Rev.  D.  Kelly,  who  was  the  first  local,  resident 
priest,  and  remained  in  Crompton  about  nine  months, 
when  he  was  removed  and  the  present  pastor  assumed 
the  charge. 

Since  1844  there  has  been  much  progress,  and  many 
improvements  in  the  foregoing  sketch.  The  original 
parish  under  the  charge  of  one  priest  only,  has  increased 
to  such  an  extent,  that  it  has  been  divided  into  five  sepa- 
rate parishes,  each  one  with  its  handsome  church  and 
resident  priest. 

Besides  the  church  of  St.  James  in  Birch  Hill,  in  1870, 
two  acres  of  land  was  purchased  in  Centreville  for 
the  erection  of  a  central  church  at  some  future  time. 
There  is  a  fine  Hall  on  the  grounds,  which  at  present  is 
used  for  meetings  of  St.  Mary's  Brass  Band,  St.  Mary's 
Temperance  Society  and  other  public  meetings  and  social 
gatherings. 

The  Cemetery,  too,  adjoining  the  Crompton  church 
deserves  especial  mention.  It  has  been  extensively  en- 
larged, improved  and  adorned  in  various  ways,  so  that 
what  was  originally  a  crude  mass  of  stones  and  natural 
rubbish,  has  become  a  lovely  retreat,  and  a  beautiful 
place  of  christian  burial. 


374  HISTORY  OF  WARWICK. 

There  have  been  other  minor  improvements,  but  suf- 
ficient has  been  mentioned  to  show  the  wonderful  pro- 
gress of  the  Catholic  church  in  Crompton  since  the  erec- 
tion of  the  "  small  church  "  on  the  hill-side  of  the  village. 

Respectfully, 

«  J.  P.  Gibson. 

PHENIX   CATHOLIC   PARISH. 

This  flourishing  parish,  once  a  part  only  of  the  Cromp- 
ton church  was  made  into  a  separate  parish  in  1858  and 
placed  in  the  charge  of  Rev.  Dr.  Wallace,  now  pastor  of 
St.  Michael's  church,  Providence.  He  remained  there 
about  seven  years.  During  the  first  year  or  two,  the 
catholic  church  there  was  a  small  building  called  the  Rock 
Chapel,  being  built  on  a  solid  rock  foundation.  It  was 
formerly  an  Episcopal  chapel,  and  was  purchased  by  Rev. 
J.  P.  Gibson  of  Mr.  Benjamin  C.  Harris  for  the  purpose  of 
converting  it  into  a  Catholic  chapel.  Mr.  Harris  very 
generously  gave  the  foundation  and  ground  around,  and 
made  no  charge  except  a  moderate  one  for  the  building 
alone.  But  this  chapel  very  soon  was  inadequate  to  the 
wants  of  the  increasing  number  of  parishioners,  and  Dr. 
Wallace  sold  it,  and  purchased  of  the  Baptist  society  the 
church  now  under  the  charge  of  Rev.  John  Couch,  who 
resides  in  Phenix,  and  has  been  pastor  there  since  the 
removal  of  Dr.  Wallace.  J.  P.  G. 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing,  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  large  number  of  French  Catholics,  a  large  and  hand- 
some church  edifice  was  erected  last  year  near  the  Cen- 
treville  railroad  station,  112  x  60,  which  is  not  yet  com- 
pletely finished ;  the  large  and  convenient  vestry  being 
at  present  used  for  religious  services.  It  is  called  St. 
John's  church,  and  Rev.  Henry  Spruyt  is  the  pastor  in 
charge. 

At  Natick,  too,  within  the  past  three  years,  a  church 
has  been  erected  to  accommodate  the  catholic  residents  of 
that  village,  and    the  resident  pastor,  Rev.  Mr.  Reviere, 


SUMMARY.  375 


preaches  to  two  distinct  congregations  at  different  parts 
of  the  day — to  one  in  English  and  to  the  other  in  the 
French  language. 

There  has  also  within  the  past  year,  been  erected  in 
Apponaug  a  neat  church  by  Rev.  Wm.  Halligan,  of 
Greenwich.  These  comprise  the  five  Catholic  parishes 
of  this  town. 

SUMMARY. 

Of  the  twenty-eight  churches  that  have  existed  in  this 
town  since  its  settlement  in  1642,  five  have  become  ex- 
tinct. Of  those  still  existing,  three  are  of  the  Six  Prin- 
ciple Baptist  order  ;  four  are  Baptist;  two  Free  Baptist; 
one  Congregationalist ;  one  Friends ;  one  New  Jerusalem  ; 
two  Methodists ;  two  Adventists  ;  two  Episcopalian,  and 
five  Roman  Catholic;  making  the  present  number  twenty- 
three.  Besides  these,  there  have  been  several  mission 
stations  established,  for  longer  or  shorter  periods,  and 
several  halls  have  been  used  at  different  times  for  reli- 
gious services. 


INDEX. 


Pago. 

Arnold,  William,  early  settler -...- 16,  297 

Arnold,  Judge  Stephen 104 

Arnold,  Judge  Dutee , 264 

Arnold,  Burrill,  shot 199 

Arnold,  Stephen,  of  Pawtuxet 87 

Animals,  wild,  bounty  on 55 

Anawon,  Philip's  counsellor,  taken  prisoner  and  slain 80 

Allen,  John,  of  Centreville 191, 193,  330 

Archery,  statute  concerning • .....  36 

Blackstone,  Wm.,  the  first  permanent  settler  of  Rhode  Island  1 

Barton,  Ruf  us,  account  of 40 

Burial  places,  the  earliest  in  town 141 

Buttonwoods 147, 150 

Brook,  sweet  meadow 153 

Brayton,  Hon.  Geo.  R.,  Chief  Justice 154 

Boston  Carpenter,  a  famous  negro. 188 

Brayton,  Be  v.  Jonathan 202,  332 

Carder,  Bichard,  account  of. , 12,  81 

Canonchet,  successor  of  Miautonomi 74,  79 

Calverly,  Edmund .  64 

Collins,  Lieut.  Eliza 62 

Canonicus,  death  of 38 

Charter,  granted  the  town 32 

Coles,  Robert,  account  of .    16 

Conscience,  rights  of 53 

Currency,  change  of. 59 

•  Commissioners,  King's,  acts  of. 67 

Clark,  Dr.  John,  agent  to  England 68 

Clark,  John  H 265 

Castle,  Old  Stone,  picture  of 76 

Crompton,  village  of 162-179 

Clapp  School  House 168 

Chippewanoxett    , 156 

Cowesett  farms,  plat  of 85 

Coventry,  set  off  from  Warwick ,    ...  96 

Cemeteries 178,183,201 

Callender,  Rev.  John 298 

Centreville,  village  of .' 179-202 

Clyde  Works 233 

Cascade 258 

Curtis,  Rev.  David 326 


378  INDEX. 


Page. 

Dowling,  Rev.  Thomas 328 

Elliot,  the  Missionary 6 

Education,  Early  efforts  in  regard  to 130 

Eliza,  name  used  in  masculine  gender 62 

Farms,  Wecochaconet  87 

Fight,  Great  Swamp 75 

File  impertinent ..  68 

Flat  Top  Mill 173 

Fifield,  Elder  Moses 199 

Francis,  Gov.  John  Brown 127 

Fuller,  Dr.  Asa 257 

Fuller,  Eev.  E.  K 331 

Gorton,  Samuel,  senior 1,  8,  41,  62,  82,  300 

Gerardy,  John,  town  order  in  regard  to 64 

Greene,  John,  senior 30 

Greene,  John,  Deputy  Governor ..  69 

Greene,  William,  elected  Governor 96 

Greene,  Gen.  Nathaniel 107-109 

Greene,  Col.  Christopher 118,  181 

Greene,  Hon.  Simon  Henry 122,  234 

Greene,  Gen.  George  Sears 293 

Greene,  Richard  Ward,  Chief  Justice 129 

Greene,  William,  Lieutenant  Governor. 161 

Greene  Mansion,  picture  of 157 

Gaspee,  destruction  of. 101 

Guards  Kentish, 106 

Government,  peculiar  form  of 13 

Grist  Mill,  first  one  in  town 44 

Holden,  Randall,  senior 21,  43 

Holden,  Randall,  goes  to  England 25,  87 

Holden,  Randall,  return  from  England. 27 

Holden,  Elder  Charles 308 

Holden,  Thomas  R 176 

Holliman,  Ezekiel 41, 297 

Harris,  William 67,  83 

Harris,  Dr.  Stephen , 239 

Helme,  Christopher 30 

Highwav  from  Apponaug  to  Centreville 91 

Hill's  Grove 268,  270 

Indians,  principal  trihes  of 2 

testimony  of  Roger  Williams  concerning 3 

their  religious  belief 3 

convey  their  lands  to  England 24 

trouble  concerning  . .   44 

efforts  to  remove  them 67 

sold  as  slaves 80 

narres  of  places,  &c 138 

Inhabitants,  early  lists  of 39,  93 

Inhabitants,  voluntary  exile  of 81 

Jewett,  Dr.  Charles 195 


INDEX  379 


Page. 

Kent  county  incorporated - 97 

Kekemewit  brook 150 

Knight,  Dr.  Svlvester 184 

Knight,  B.  B.' &  R 266 

Lectures,  curtain 36 

Law,  Grand,  of  the  town 46 

Laws,  marriage 37 

Laws,  various  town 57 

Lands,  division  of 83 

Natick,  grant  of 89 

Labor,  price  of,  established  by  the  town 125 

Lapham,  Benedict •  • 196 

Levalley,  Peter , 214 

Lotteiies,  grants  to  various  parties 98,  324 

Lippift,  Col.  Christopher Ill,  227 

Lippitt,  family  of 112 

Miantonomi,  deed  of  land  from 11 

Miantonomi,  put  to  death 22 

Massachusetts,  claims  of 15 

troubles  with 17 

Matteson,  family  of 162 

Mashantatat  or  Moshanticut 69 

Micarter,  John,  grant  to  for  a  fulling  Mill 95 

Mill,  Edmonds',  where  situated 207 

Mill,  Roger  Williams,  burnt 209 

Niles,  Rev.  Asa     323 

Norwood,  Abraham 220 

Oakland  Beach ' 146 

Oocupassnetuxet,  purchase  of 12 

Office,  men  fined  for  not  accepting 37 

Peck,  Perez.... 250 

Pawtuxet,  signification  of  name  135 

Papepieset 57,259 

Putnharn  summoned  to  attend  court 43 

Pumham's  fort,  where  situated, 25 

wigwams  burnt , 75 

Pumham,  killed  near  Dedham 75 

Philip,  Indian  Sachem 70 

eloquent  reply  of 72 

slain  at  Mount  Hope 79 

Prescott,  General,  capture  of  114 

Public  Schools 131 

Phenix  partially  burnt     221 

Potowomut,  Indian  deed  of 49 

Potter,  Robert,  an  early  settler 47 

Power,  Nicholas,  account  of 21 

Records,  early  town 34 

ltebelliou,  Southern,  cost  of  to  the  town ...  132 

Rousmaniere,    Henry 136 

Rocky  Point 145 

Revolutionary  war,  soldiers  of. . . .   123 

Ross,  Rev.  Arthur   A 116 


380  INDEX. 


Page. 

Remington,  family  of 167 

Rhodes,  General  Christopher 251 

Settlers,  early,  under  arrest 19 

their  release 23 

return  from  Newport  after  Indian  war 81 

Sabbath  Schools,  early  ones 336 

School  house,  earliest  one  in  town 143 

School  house,  Crompton,  burnt 177 

Smith,  John,  President  of  R.  I.  Colony 37,  43 

further  reference  to 77,  298 

Spencer,  Deacon  Pardon 101,  174,  179 

Spencer,  William  B *. 225,  257 

Soldiers,  names  of  in  war  of  rebellion 270 

Spring  Green ,      138 

Sprague,  Governor,  "William  senior. 125,  255 

Sprague,  A.  &  W.,  immense  business  of. 254 

Sprague,  Governor,  letter  in  regard  to  from  Senator  Sprague.  12(5 

Sprague,  Dr.  Albert  G 293 

Stafford,  Thomas 63 

Shawomet,  signification  of  name, 137 

Town  Orders,  early 13 

Town  Records  mutilated 65 

Town  House,  early  preparations  for.  , 61 

Town  meetings,  sold  to  highest  bidder 155 

Tiffany  mill 173 

Teachers 177,  1«7 

Toskiounke 57 

TJpdike's  Narragansett  referred  to. 62,  77 

Uncas,  Sachem  of  the  Mohegaus 22 

Villages"of  Warwick,  bird's  eye  view  of — 134 

Warwick,  population  of  from  1708  to  present  time 94 

Warwick,  town  named  for  whom, 26 

Waddell,  William 21 

Waterman,  Richard,  account  of. 12,  297 

Waterman,  John  R 143 

Waterman,  Resolved 242 

Waterhouse,  Gen.  James 196 

Wood,  JohnJ 178 

Warner,  John,  disfranchised \. 45 

Westcott,  Stukely,  account  of. 40,  297 

Wickes,  John,  account  of          24 

Wickes,  John,  slain  by  Indians 77 

Williams,  Roger 1,51 

agent  of  the  town  to  Massachusetts 57 

his  letter  voted  "  pernissious" 64 

War,  King  Philip's 71 

Revolutionary,  close  of 124 

Wightman,  Deacon  Moses 340 

Yankee  and  Yankee  Doodle,  origin  of  the  terms 124 


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